A new study has found that one in three Thai teenagers has come across sexual content online, raising concerns about youth safety in the digital world.
The report, titled Leaked: Understanding and Addressing Self-Generated Sexual Content Involving Young People in Thailand, was carried out by research group Evident and the HUG Project, with support from the World Childhood Foundation.
Researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 young people aged nine to 17 across seven northern provinces between August 2024 and March 2025. They also held focus groups with youth, alongside interviews with law enforcement and frontline workers.
The findings are stark. Around one-third of teens said they knew peers who had shared or received sexual material, including nude images believed to involve minors, adult pornography, and even AI-generated deepfakes.
The motivations behind sharing were just as concerning. Almost half (46%) said the main driver was the pursuit of likes and followers. This was closely followed by financial incentives such as money or gifts (45%) and the need for validation (40%). Meanwhile, 34% admitted that some teens were pressured, tricked, or coerced into sharing intimate material.
Despite widespread awareness of the risks, 56% acknowledged how technology makes it easy to distribute explicit images without considering the consequences. Many teens viewed online scams and drugs as greater threats than sexual content, highlighting a major gap between young people’s and parents’ perceptions of danger, reported Bangkok Post.
Wirawan Mosby, director and founder of the HUG Project and recognised as a Trafficking in Persons Report Hero in 2017, warned that digital and offline lives are now deeply intertwined.
“Young people are growing up in a world where their digital lives are inseparable from their offline ones.”
She urged parents and teachers to avoid shaming or lecturing children and instead focus on offering constructive guidance.
“Instead of using shame or telling them not to take risks, we need to listen and give them guidance about how to carefully engage in online and offline relationships.”
The study highlights the urgent need for better education, stronger safeguards, and more open conversations about the risks facing Thai youth in an increasingly digital world.
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