More than 40% of girls in Wales asked for nude photos online, survey finds

Mark Mansfield

More than four in 10 girls in Wales have been asked to send nude images online, according to new research which has prompted calls for action to tackle what a children’s charity describes as “constant and corrosive” misogyny.

The survey of young people aged 13 to 20 found that 43% of female respondents in Wales had been asked for nude photos, while more than one in five young people (22%) had seen private intimate images shared without consent. Nearly one in five (18%) said they had witnessed threats involving intimate images.

The findings, published by Barnardo’s Cymru, highlight what the charity says is the growing impact of harmful online content, harassment and abuse on young people’s lives.

The research also found evidence of continuing pressure linked to masculinity and gender stereotypes.

Six in 10 boys in Wales (61%) agreed that boys are expected to act tough and not show emotion, while 18% said they had personally been mocked for crying or showing emotion.

Almost half of all respondents (49%) agreed that boys are expected to hide their feelings and appear tough.

The survey also found that boys were more likely than girls to endorse traditional gender stereotypes, with 29% agreeing that men are naturally better leaders than women.

A significant minority of respondents also expressed views that campaigners say can contribute to harmful attitudes towards women and girls. Fifteen per cent agreed it is normal to “keep trying until she changes her mind”, while 30% believed false accusations are commonly used to get boys into trouble.

Deeply concerning

Sarah Crawley, director of Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “These findings paint a deeply concerning picture of the pressures many young people in Wales are facing online, particularly girls.

“No child should grow up believing that harassment, sexual pressure or degrading comments are simply a normal part of everyday life.”

Ms Crawley said the charity had supported girls who had become victims of digitally manipulated “deepfake” images circulated online.

She said: “The images were shared through social media platforms, sometimes through fake accounts set up to spread the abuse further.

“Incidents like this can cause enormous fear, distress and lasting emotional harm.”

Barnardo’s said its frontline practitioners were increasingly seeing the effects of misogynistic content on children and young people. Nearly three in 10 practitioners surveyed reported seeing more children affected by such content than a year earlier, while a similar proportion reported increases in child-on-child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour.

The charity is calling for stronger action to tackle misogyny both online and offline, including tougher regulation of online platforms.

Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said misogyny was shaping how many young people viewed themselves and others.

‘Corrosive’

She said: “Misogyny isn’t always loud or visible to many of us, but these findings show how constant, corrosive and deeply embedded it is in the lives of young people today both online and off.

“It shapes how boys and girls think about themselves, their worth and their relationships with others.”

Barnardo’s is urging the UK Government to strengthen Ofcom’s guidance on violence against women and girls by making it a mandatory code of practice for online platforms.

The charity said the findings also underscored the importance of Wales’s Child Sexual Abuse National Delivery Plan for 2026-2029, which includes measures aimed at improving understanding of harmful sexual behaviour and online exploitation while promoting healthy relationships and consent.