“Well, perhaps the only way I think it affected me was that since that moment, I don’t tell my mum anything related to sexuality or anything like that. In a way I have always kept it to myself and when I want to talk about it, I always turn to a friend; I still do not talk about that, about any of that with my mum.” The consequence of victim-blaming is that children who experience it may be less likely to seek help if they are ever exploited and abused again, or if they face other challenging life experiences. This limits access to guidance, protection, support and recovery. Professionals consistently emphasized that technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse can be deeply traumatic, with lasting consequences for children’s mental health, even when it does not involve physical abuse. Social workers and psychologists we interviewed repeatedly reported cases of self-harm, suicide attempts and post-traumatic stress disorder following technology-facilitated For more details about the statistics presented in this section, view the Appendix sexual abuse, which were often linked to feelings of guilt, social rejection and stigma. These impacts are further reinforced by survey data from thousands of affected children. Many continue to live with the fear that content could resurface, the anxiety of being recognized, and a lasting difficulty in trusting others and building new relationships. These experiences reflect the long-term impact and the profound loss of control that characterize technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse. Children subjected to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse were: 4 times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviours; 4 times more likely to engage in self-harm tendencies; And reported anxiety levels were approximately 11 percentage points higher. The findings presented reflect the median observed across the 21 countries included in the analysis. Through Children’s Eyes How does abuse affect children’s lives? 33