Exposing children to sexual content, potentially desensitizing them, sometimes goes hand in hand with requesting children to share their own sexual images or videos. These events can be recurring, confusing and emotionally manipulative. Saying no does not always end the abuse. A young person in Brazil described how a perpetrator repeatedly exposed him/her to sexual content, while requesting sexual images in return: “He kept going on about it, sending pictures of his member and saying, ‘Look how I am for you’, I don’t know what else, ‘Send me a picture’, and I would say no, sorry, I don’t feel comfortable, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to, I’m scared.” For some children, the pressure takes other forms. Money, gifts, or attention are offered in exchange for sexual images or in-person meetings. Economic hardship, combined with the normalization of sexual exploitation described earlier, puts children in a particularly vulnerable position, which perpetrators can take advantage of. A young woman from Colombia recalled being contacted online as a child by a man who offered her money in exchange for sex. She reflected on the fact that she was not aware of the abusive and illegal nature of the situation, given that he provided her with financial support: An estimated 5.5 million children were offered money or gifts, in return for sexual content or sexual contact in just one year. “I was going through a lot of needs. Then the guy contacted me through social media, he proposed good, well, for me, it was a good amount of money. Because, from having nothing to having what he offered me, well, it was good. Then, after he was arrested by the police, I realized that he took a lot of photos without me realizing it, without my consent.” What emerges across interviews with young survivors is that sexual solicitation is rarely a one-off request or isolated incident. It often sits within a wider pattern of boundary-pushing, manipulation and the exploitation of children’s personal circumstances. This makes it harder for children to recognize what is happening, resist escalating demands, or refuse altogether. Through Children’s Eyes How does digital technology enable sexual exploitation and abuse? 13