Čes-slov Pediat 2026, 81(5):263-268 | DOI: 10.55095/CSPediatrie2026/033

Online sexuality in children and adolescents: a practical pediatric approach to children encountering pornography, sexting, and cybergrooming

Marek Broul^{1, 2, 3}, Adam Cipra⁴, Aneta Hujová³, Michal Vostrý³, Otakar Fleischmann³

¹ Sexuologické oddělení, Krajská zdravotní, a. s., Masarykova nemocnice v Ústí nad Labem, o. z.

² Urologické oddělení, Krajská zdravotní, a. s., Nemocnice Litoměřice, o. z.

³ Fakulta zdravotnických studií, Univerzita J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem

⁴ Dětská klinika, Fakulta zdravotnických studií, Univerzita J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem a Krajská zdravotní, a.s., Masarykova nemocnice v Ústí nad Labem, o. z.

Digital environments are an integral part of everyday life in children and adolescents, and pediatricians increasingly encounter situations in which online sexuality forms the background of anxiety, sleep problems, school difficulties, family conflict, or acute distress after the sharing of intimate material. In clinical practice, it is important not to pathologize consensual adolescent intimacy,

while also distinguishing accidental exposure and developmentally expected experimentation from coercion, non-consensual dissemination of intimate content, sextortion, and

cybergrooming

This review summarizes terminology, psychological consequences, indicators for active enquiry, a concise Czech legal and documentation framework, and practical triage in pediatric care. Particular attention is paid to situations involving child protection concerns and possible child abuse and neglect. The aim is to provide a clinically applicable decision framework for everyday practice.

Keywords: child, adolescent, pediatrics, pornography, sexting, sextortion, cybergrooming, online child sexual exploitation and abuse, child abuse and neglect

Received: March 27, 2026; Revised: May 22, 2026; Accepted: May 28, 2026; Published: July 1, 2026  Show citation