Exposed to Sexual Crimes, Gambling, and Drugs with a "Like"... Curiosity Leads to Crime [Youth Immersed in SNS]②

Number of Teen Crime Victims and Serious Crime Suspects Continues to Rise Each Year
Youth Share Overdose Experiences on SNS
Proportion of Youth Exposed to Gambling Promotions on SNS Jumps from 12.9% to 19.3%

Editor's NoteNine out of ten high school students now use social networking services (SNS). However, society's response to youth SNS usage remains insufficient. While parents worry that SNS could lead to school violence and crime, children say that, amid their hectic daily lives, relationships with peers are impossible without SNS. The Asia Business Daily examines this gap and seeks solutions that our society must consider.

#In October 2024, an adult male, referred to as Mr. A, met a 15-year-old middle school student, Ms. B, through the social networking service Instagram. After exchanging direct messages on Instagram, Mr. A invited Ms. B to his residence in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, where they watched a movie together. When Ms. B fell asleep, Mr. A sexually assaulted her. The court sentenced Mr. A to one year in prison, suspended for two years, stating, "It cannot be ruled out that the victim may experience difficulties in developing healthy sexual values and character during her future growth."

Last December, a student who identified themselves as being born in 2011 shared on the social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) that they took 10 doses of cold medicine at once and gave a review. Screenshot from X

#In December of last year, a student who identified themselves as being born in 2011 stated on SNS X (formerly Twitter) that they took 10 doses of cold medicine at once. When asked how they felt, the student replied in the comments, "I feel dizzy and can't think of anything." For a review of taking a sleeping pill, they used the tag 'OD' (Overdose). Searching for 'OD' on X reveals numerous teenagers openly sharing their experiences with drug overdose. Even with over-the-counter medications, sharing overdose experiences or distributing drugs on SNS constitutes a violation of the Information and Communications Network Act or the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. On December 30, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association stated that measures must be taken in pharmacies to protect teenagers.

Teenagers are increasingly exposed to environments where, while using SNS for friendships or stress relief, they can become involved in crimes, fall victim to serious offenses such as sexual crimes, or become addicted to gambling or drugs.

According to the National Police Agency on January 16, the number of suspects under the age of 18 involved in serious crimes in 2024 was 2,021, up from 1,648 in 2021, 1,808 in 2022, and 1,909 in 2023, showing a steady increase each year. The proportion of suspects under 18 among all serious crime suspects has also risen, from 7.1% in 2021 to 7.2% in 2022, 7.7% in 2023, and 8.6% in 2024.

The number of child and adolescent crime victims is also increasing. The number of crime victims aged 12 and under reached 17,295 in 2024, up from 15,763 in 2021, 15,612 in 2022, and 17,163 in 2023, showing a yearly rise. For those aged 13 to 20, the number of crime victims was 69,366 in 2021, 76,273 in 2022, 76,192 in 2023, and 81,295 in 2024. Currently, children and adolescents account for about 8% of all crime victims.

Teenagers Targeted by Crime... Online Sexual Offenses Rise from 14.4% to 36.1% in Five Years

Sexual crimes against children and adolescents often begin in online spaces such as SNS. According to the 2025 Women’s Violence Statistics from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the proportion of youth sexual crime victims who were targeted by someone they met online rose from 14.4% in 2018 to 36.1% in 2023, more than doubling in five years. In addition, the proportion of digital sexual violence victims among women aged 20 and under increased from 30.6% in 2021 to 34.5% in 2024. During the same period, the proportion among women in their 20s fell from 45.6% to 35.2%.

The ease with which teenagers encounter gambling on SNS is also a serious risk factor. According to the 2025 Youth Gambling Survey by the Korea Center on Gambling Problems, which surveyed 13,841 elementary (grades 4-6), middle, and high school students, 54% of teenagers reported having been exposed to gambling advertisements or promotional materials. In particular, the proportion who saw gambling promotions on SNS jumped from 12.9% in 2024 to 19.3% last year. It is estimated that around 157,000 teenagers have experienced gambling.

Social networking service X (formerly Twitter) is being used to buy and sell controlled substances such as dietamin (medical narcotic appetite suppressant). Screenshot from X

The development of SNS has further increased the risk of teenagers being exposed to drug-related crimes. On X, posts such as "Anyone need dietamin (medical narcotic appetite suppressant)?" continue to appear, indicating ongoing buying and selling of controlled substances. According to the 2024 White Paper on Narcotics Crimes from the prosecution, there were 649 offenders under the age of 19 involved in drug-related crimes in 2024. Of these, 564 were implicated in cases involving psychotropic drugs, such as taking or trading narcotic appetite suppressants or sleeping pills. The prosecution stated that it is common for offenders to learn drug manufacturing techniques through SNS or the internet and to conspire with unidentified individuals online to commit these crimes.