Goodbye Omegle: how the anonymous chatroom traumatized our teen years

My generation became a target for abuse on the video-chat site - and our parents had no idea

• This article contains descriptions of online child abuse and self-harm

It was usually only a matter of minutes before we'd see the first penis. As we huddled giggling around someone's family computer, hauled into a bedroom for secrecy, they became a routine part of our childhood sleepovers. One after another, the penises would flash up on screen, as we fell about screaming with laughter, half-covering our eyes with our school jumper sleeves.

Ewwww! Next, next!" Someone would click next". The routine began again.