In 2023, NCMEC received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation online, a 12% jump from the year before, showing how quickly risk can escalate even as platforms claim they are improving detection. At the same time, phishing surged to 58% globally in 2023, and cyberbullying continues to widen harm across devices and apps. This post connects these patterns across countries and platforms so you can see where prevention efforts tend to miss and what the data suggests should be prioritized next.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022-2023, 1 in 6 U.S. kids aged 10-15 was cyberbullied on YouTube comments
- Globally, 1 in 3 children encounter unwanted sexual solicitation online, with 12% from strangers posing as peers
- U.S. NCMEC received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation online in 2023, up 12% from prior year
- In 2023, 46% of American teens aged 13-17 reported experiencing cyberbullying at least once, with girls being 1.5 times more likely than boys to face it online
- Globally, 37% of young people aged 12-18 have been cyberbullied, leading to a 20% increase in reported cases since 2020 due to pandemic-related online activity surges
- 41% of U.S. adults have experienced online harassment, with 11% facing severe forms like stalking or sexual harassment in the past year
- In 2023, 4.2 billion personal records exposed in breaches, 25% via phishing entry
- Equifax breach 2017 still impacts 147 million, but 2023 saw 8,000+ new breaches globally
- Average data breach cost $4.45 million in 2023, up 15% over 3 years
- In 2023, malware infections hit 5.5 billion devices, 1 in 10 users affected
- Ransomware attacks 2,200 daily globally in 2023, double from 2022
- 94% of malware now uses encryption to evade detection
- In 2023, phishing attacks rose 58% globally, with 300 million incidents targeting consumers
- U.S. phishing victims lost $52 million to business email compromise (BEC) scams in 2023, average loss $150,000 per incident
- 83% of organizations experienced phishing attempts in 2023, with 36% leading to breaches
Cyber harassment and online grooming remain widespread, with millions of incidents reported and data breaches still rising.
Related reading
01 · Category
Child Online Safety30 stats
01
In 2022-2023, 1 in 6 U.S. kids aged 10-15 was cyberbullied on YouTube comments
02
Globally, 1 in 3 children encounter unwanted sexual solicitation online, with 12% from strangers posing as peers
03
U.S. NCMEC received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation online in 2023, up 12% from prior year
04
17% of children aged 9-12 have been contacted by online predators via gaming apps like Fortnite
05
In the UK, 1 in 20 children aged 11-16 received sexual images from strangers online in past year
06
34% of U.S. girls aged 13-17 experienced online sexual interactions they didn't want
07
EUROPOL reports 80% of online child abuse imagery involves children under 10, platforms detect only 45%
08
In Australia, 1 in 10 children aged 8-15 were approached sexually online, 70% via social media
09
23% of U.S. children share personal info with strangers online unknowingly, raising predation risk
10
India saw 1.5 million child grooming reports on WhatsApp in 2023
11
15% of kids aged 12-15 in Canada met online contacts offline, 7% without parental knowledge
12
Globally, 300,000 children are targeted daily by online predators on social platforms
13
U.S. teens aged 13-17: 19% friended strangers on social media, increasing exposure by 3x
14
In Brazil, 22% of children reported creepy adult interactions in Roblox chats
15
1 in 7 children worldwide experience online sexual solicitation, per 2023 meta-analysis
16
UK children aged 11-13: 13% received sexual messages from adults online
17
28% of U.S. child predator arrests in 2023 involved Discord or gaming platforms
18
In Germany, 18% of 10-14 year olds shared nude images after online coercion
19
Southeast Asia: 25% of children faced grooming on TikTok live streams in 2023
20
41% of predator contacts start with gaming invites, per NCMEC data
21
France: 1 in 12 children aged 9-17 exposed to child sexual abuse material online
22
20% of U.S. kids use secret apps like Calculator+ to hide chats with strangers
23
Japan: 14,000 child grooming cases linked to LINE app in 2023
24
16% of EU children encountered sexual extortion online, with boys 2x more victimized
25
South Africa: 27% of urban kids approached by predators on Facebook
26
35% of online predator tactics involve fake profiles mimicking teen celebrities
27
In Mexico, 19% of teens shared locations with online strangers
28
Global live-streaming platforms host 70% of undetected child grooming sessions
29
U.S.: 24% of 8-12 year olds disabled privacy settings, exposing to predators
30
Nigeria: 29% of children faced sexual chats on Instagram
Interpretation
Child Online Safety Interpretation
These statistics paint a stark picture: while parents might worry their child is addicted to a screen, online predators are expertly using those same screens to run a global, predatory network targeting the most vulnerable among us.
02 · Category
Cyberbullying30 stats
01
In 2023, 46% of American teens aged 13-17 reported experiencing cyberbullying at least once, with girls being 1.5 times more likely than boys to face it online
02
Globally, 37% of young people aged 12-18 have been cyberbullied, leading to a 20% increase in reported cases since 2020 due to pandemic-related online activity surges
03
41% of U.S. adults have experienced online harassment, with 11% facing severe forms like stalking or sexual harassment in the past year
04
Among UK youth, 20% of children aged 10-15 have been sent upsetting sexual images or content online as a form of cyberbullying
05
In a 2022 survey, 59% of teens who experienced cyberbullying reported it affected their mental health, with 15% considering suicide
06
Cyberbullying victims are 2.1 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to non-victims, based on a meta-analysis of 134 studies involving over 500,000 students
07
33% of middle school students in the U.S. have been cyberbullied, with social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat being the most common venues
08
In Australia, 1 in 5 secondary school students aged 12-17 experienced cyberbullying in the past term, with 40% not telling anyone
09
25% of cyberbullying incidents reported to U.S. schools in 2023 involved repeated targeting over multiple platforms
10
Female teens are 50% more likely to be cyberbullied through body shaming or appearance-based attacks than males, per 2023 data
11
64% of cyberbullying victims aged 14-24 hide their experiences from parents due to fear of losing internet access
12
In India, 32% of students aged 8-18 faced cyberbullying, with anonymous accounts responsible for 70% of cases
13
Cyberbullying reports in the EU rose 27% in 2022, with platforms failing to remove 36% of flagged harmful content within 24 hours
14
19% of U.S. LGBTQ+ youth experienced cyberbullying related to their sexual orientation or gender identity in 2023
15
Repeated cyberbullying exposure increases depression risk by 2.3 times in adolescents, per longitudinal study of 2,000 teens
16
In Canada, 24% of youth aged 12-17 reported being cyberbullied weekly, with gaming platforms like Roblox implicated in 18% of cases
17
55% of cyberbullied students in U.S. high schools experienced academic performance declines
18
Brazil saw a 45% rise in cyberbullying complaints among minors in 2023, with WhatsApp as the primary platform
19
28% of adult women in the U.S. faced gendered online harassment in 2022, compared to 12% of men
20
Cyberbullying involving deepfakes rose 300% in 2023, affecting 5% of teen victims
21
42% of U.S. teens mute or block cyberbullies, but 22% retaliate online, escalating conflicts
22
In South Korea, 15% of students aged 10-19 were cyberbullied in 2023, with school refusal linked in 30% of cases
23
67% of cyberbullying incidents go unreported to authorities due to lack of trust, per global survey of 50,000 youth
24
U.S. schools reported 14% increase in cyberbullying suspensions in 2023, totaling over 100,000 cases
25
35% of cyberbullied children in the UK develop anxiety disorders, per NHS data from 2022-2023
26
Gaming-related cyberbullying affects 21% of U.S. teen gamers, with voice chat toxicity leading
27
In France, 29% of adolescents faced cyberbullying in 2023, with 12% involving threats of physical harm
28
Cyberbullying peaks at age 13-14, with 48% incidence rate among U.S. middle schoolers
29
51% of cyberbullying victims experience sleep disturbances lasting over a month
30
Japan reported 18,000 cyberbullying cases in schools for 2023, a 22% year-over-year increase
Interpretation
Cyberbullying Interpretation
The internet has tragically perfected the ancient art of bullying, scaling it into a global, 24/7 mental health crisis that we've somehow accepted as the sinister login bonus of digital life.
03 · Category
Data Breaches/Privacy30 stats
01
In 2023, 4.2 billion personal records exposed in breaches, 25% via phishing entry
02
Equifax breach 2017 still impacts 147 million, but 2023 saw 8,000+ new breaches globally
03
Average data breach cost $4.45 million in 2023, up 15% over 3 years
04
74% of breaches involved human element like credential misuse
05
U.S. healthcare breaches exposed 133 million records in 2023, highest sector
06
83% of organizations had MFA but 61% breached anyway via phishing bypass, 2023
07
MOVEit breach affected 2,600 orgs, 60 million individuals in 2023
08
Dark web monitoring shows 15 billion stolen credentials available 2023
09
EU GDPR fines totaled €2.1 billion since 2018, 400 in 2023 alone for breaches
10
49% of large breaches due to stolen creds, average time to breach 11 days
11
Retail sector: 1 in 3 faced breach 2023, costing average $3.3 million
12
3.8 million records leaked daily average in 2023
13
68% consumers worry about data privacy post-breach, 42% change providers
14
Financial services breaches up 20%, exposed 200 million records 2023
15
Insider threats caused 20% breaches, average cost $4.9 million
16
UK ICO handled 2,300 breach reports in Q1 2023, 80% personal data
17
Supply chain breaches like SolarWinds affected 18,000 orgs indirectly 2023
18
54% breaches public within day, damaging brand 30% more
19
Education sector: 900 breaches, 500k records exposed monthly avg 2023
20
2.6 billion personal records compromised globally 2023
21
Average breach detection time 277 days, containment 83 days
22
Ransomware breaches 24% of total, extorting $1 billion 2023
23
75% orgs had breached third-party vendor 2023
24
Consumer data dark web price $10-100 per record post-breach
25
Australia: 1,100 notified breaches 2023, 200 million records
26
40% breaches from unpatched vulnerabilities exploited
27
Identity theft from breaches up 25%, 1.1 million U.S. cases 2023
28
Cloud misconfigs caused 20% breaches, 100 million records 2023
29
62% enterprises breached multiple times yearly
30
Breach notification avg 49 days late, violating regs 30% time
Interpretation
Data Breaches/Privacy Interpretation
In 2023, humanity's digital diary was not just left open but published, auctioned, and sold back to us at a premium, proving that while we've finally started locking the front door, we're still handing out copies of the key to any convincingly sad email.
More related reading
04 · Category
Malware/Cybersecurity Threats30 stats
01
In 2023, malware infections hit 5.5 billion devices, 1 in 10 users affected
02
Ransomware attacks 2,200 daily globally in 2023, double from 2022
03
94% of malware now uses encryption to evade detection
04
Mobile malware samples reached 12.7 million in 2023, up 15%
05
1 in 43 Windows users hit by ransomware weekly 2023
06
IoT devices: 1.5 billion infected by malware in 2023, Mirai variants dominant
07
Global cyber attacks 2,300 per day on avg org, 30% malware-delivered
08
Mac malware up 50% to 250,000 samples 2023, targeting crypto wallets
09
80% of breaches involve malware, avg dwell time 21 days
10
Android banking trojans stole $90 million 2023, 1.3 million installs
11
Supply chain malware like XZ Utils nearly compromised Linux distros 2023
12
Email malware attachments clicked by 1 in 99 recipients 2023
13
5.3 billion password attacks daily, fueling malware via credential stuffing
14
Gaming malware infected 150 million accounts 2023, cheats as vector
15
Zero-day malware exploits used in 25% APT attacks 2023
16
Enterprise endpoints: 1 attack every 39 seconds 2023
17
Fileless malware 77% harder to detect, used in 35% attacks
18
Botnets like Mirai controlled 2 million devices avg 2023, DDoS focus
19
Crypto-jacking malware mined $2.5 billion illicitly 2023
20
400,000 new malware variants daily 2023
21
OT/ICS malware attacks up 50%, Stuxnet-like in 12 incidents
22
Spyware infections doubled to 1 million mobile cases 2023, Pegasus variants
23
66% orgs infected post-phishing, malware payload avg
24
Linux malware surged 40% to 200,000 samples 2023, servers targeted
25
Wiper malware used in 20 destructive attacks 2023, Ukraine focus
26
Adware affected 90% free apps downloaded 2023
27
Cloud malware instances up 75%, misconfig entry 2023
28
1.2 million ATM jackpotting malware attacks 2023
29
EDR evasion by malware 85% success in tests 2023
30
POS malware stole 50 million card details 2023
Interpretation
Malware/Cybersecurity Threats Interpretation
The digital world has become a neighborhood where leaving your door unlocked isn't just risky, it's a guarantee that five and a half billion different pickpockets, kidnappers, and saboteurs will stroll right in, make themselves at home, and start redecorating your life without permission.
05 · Category
Phishing/Scams30 stats
01
In 2023, phishing attacks rose 58% globally, with 300 million incidents targeting consumers
02
U.S. phishing victims lost $52 million to business email compromise (BEC) scams in 2023, average loss $150,000 per incident
03
83% of organizations experienced phishing attempts in 2023, with 36% leading to breaches
04
Smishing (SMS phishing) attacks increased 328% in 2023, targeting mobile users primarily
05
1.2 billion phishing emails sent daily worldwide, with 1 in 99 emails malicious
06
In Q4 2023, Google blocked 2.2 billion phishing sites, up from 1.4 billion prior year
07
90% of data breaches start with phishing emails, per IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2023
08
BEC scams defrauded 22,000 U.S. victims of $2.9 billion in 2023
09
74% of phishing sites impersonate Microsoft or Office 365 brands
10
UK phishing complaints rose 25% to 300,000 in 2023, £17 million lost
11
Vishing (voice phishing) calls surged 140% in 2023, often using AI voice cloning
12
65% of millennials clicked phishing links vs. 48% boomers, behavioral data 2023
13
India reported 1.6 million phishing cases in 2023, 80% via WhatsApp
14
Spear-phishing success rate 70% higher than generic phishing, targeting executives
15
44% of phishing emails use COVID-19 or health lures in late 2023 variants
16
Australia lost AUD 40 million to phishing in 2023, 15,000 victims
17
1 in 10 emails contained phishing in 2023 enterprise tests
18
Crypto phishing scams stole $1.7 billion in 2023, via fake wallet sites
19
79% of cybersecurity pros faced phishing in last year, 22% compromised
20
Brazil phishing incidents up 42% to 2 million in 2023, banking apps targeted
21
AI-generated phishing emails evaded detection 40% more often in 2023 tests
22
300,000+ unique phishing kits sold on dark web in 2023
23
EU citizens reported 450,000 phishing scams in 2023, €1.2 billion losses
24
55% of phishing uses HTTPS to appear legitimate, up from 20% in 2019
25
South Korea phishing losses hit $200 million in 2023, mobile banking focus
26
68% of SMBs hit by phishing lack training, 60% breach rate post-attack
27
Tech support scams via phishing popped up 25% in 2023, $800 million global loss
28
92% of malware delivered via phishing emails in 2023
29
Canada: 18,000 phishing victims lost CAD 50 million in 2023
30
URL phishing shortened links clicked 2x more, used in 30% attacks
Interpretation
Phishing/Scams Interpretation
We are all now starring in a global tragedy of errors where trusting a single click, call, or text can cost us our savings, our data, and our sanity, proving that the most vulnerable link in cybersecurity will always be the human one.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Internet Safety Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/internet-safety-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Internet Safety Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/internet-safety-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Internet Safety Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/internet-safety-statistics.
Sources & references
100 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level