Online harassment

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/24/007234/M

 Version Date: 18/12/2024

The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.

Data Processing:

Crimes recorded on crime information system – NICHE

Cancelled crimes excluded, Non notifiable crimes excluded

Qliksense Report: Occurrence - People links (all)                                                        

Filtered by crimed date: July 1st 2021 to July 31st 2024

Victim: Yes                                                   

Age range at time: <18                                                      

Cyber enabled: Yes                                                

HO Description: Harassment                                                        

Then, Offence Description: Disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (recordable) and Disclose / threaten to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress

Crimes recorded on crime information system – NICHE

Cancelled crimes excluded, Non notifiable crimes excluded

Qliksense Report: MO Text Report                                                          

Filtered by crimed date (via excel): July 1st 2021 to July 31st 2024

MO Data: “online gaming”, “online dating”, “WhatsApp”, “TikTok”,“Instagram”, “snapchat”                                                          

Data extracted and matched to People Links data

Crimes recorded on crime information system – NICHE

Cancelled crimes excluded, Non notifiable crimes excluded

Qliksense Report: Occurrence - People links (all)                                                        

Filtered by crimed date: July 1st 2021 to July 31st 2024

Victim: Yes                                                   

Age range at time: <18                                                      

Cyber enabled: Yes                                                

CSE: Yes                                                      

Data Limitations:

• Data is reliant on the accurate recording of the persons date of birth and/or age at the time of the offence.
• Data (relating to keywords) is limited to the presence of the keyword, but not limited to the word itself.
• Due to the date range breakdown requested, some data overlaps. For example, July 2022 data is included in July 2021 to July 2022 and July 2022 to July 2023.                                                                        

1. Harassment (with online/ cyber flag OR where key words “online gaming”, “online dating”, “WhatsApp”, “Tiktok”,“Instagram”, “snapchat” are used) where the victim is under 18.

The youngest victim involved was aged 9.

2. 
   Disclosure of private sexual photographs and videos with intent to cause distress (with a cyber flag OR where key words “online gaming”, “online dating”, “WhatsApp”, “Tiktok”, “Instagram”, “snapchat” are used) where the victim is under 18.

The youngest victim involved was aged 12.

3. 
   Child sexual exploitation (with an online/cyber flag) where the victim is under 18.
   
   

The youngest victim involved was aged 5.

Please provide annual figures for July 2021- july 2022, July 2022- july 2023, July 2023- July 2024. If possible please provide the age of the youngest child involved in the reported crimes above.