Press Release: Survivors of childhood sexual violence seek urgent action to ‘redesign’ the internet to protect children

Press Release

Survivors of childhood sexual violence seek urgent action to 'redesign' the internet to protect children

Survivors join bereaved parents and high-level political figures, to put pressure on political leaders, funders and tech companies to end childhood sexual abuse online.

The move comes 100 days before the historic inaugural Global Ministerial on Ending Violence Against Children - the first time that global leaders will be asked to pledge action to end the scourge of childhood sexual violence.

July 17, 2024 [LONDON]: Today, survivors of childhood sexual violence will address the escalating threat to children’s lives posed by online abuse, and call for action to ‘redesign’ the internet and protect children ahead of the first ever global Ministerial on the issue in November 2024. This is a pivotal moment to redefine the digital world for children, ensuring that technology is used for their benefit and never for their harm.

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DeafKidz International

Our grantees DeafKidz International DeafKidz Defenders Project Countries involved:United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland DeafKidz International will develop DeafKidz Defenders, an interactive, accessible digital platform to help deaf children stay safe from online abuse and exploitation. Through educational games, children will learn to protect themselves from online risks, exploring what

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Suojellaan Lapsia Ry 2

Our grantees Suojellaan Lapsia Ry Primary Prevention to Protect Children: Offender-focused prevention of online sexual violence against children Countries involved:Finland Suojellaan Lapsia Ry will develop and launch ReDirection, an evidence-based self-help programme working to prevent the consumption of CSAM on the Dark Web. By providing targeted support for these individuals, the

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Internet Watch Foundation

Our grantees Internet Watch Foundation Reporting Portal Project Countries involved:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland With support from the Fund, the Internet Watch Foundation is progressing its mission to eliminate child sexual abuse from the internet by working in 30 countries – the majority of which are in Africa – to

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Call to Action: A digital world safe for every child

Call to Action

A digital world safe for every child!

Sexual violence against children and adolescents is a pressing global issue. The consequences of child sexual exploitation and abuse are profound, leading to serious implications for children’s health, societal participation and economic prospects. The digital world has amplified children’s exposure to sexual exploitation
and abuse, exposing children to unprecedented risks.

As per the latest Childlight data, one case of online child abuse is reported every second. The Internet Watch Foundation noted 2023 as a ‘record year’ for child sexual abuse with an 8 per cent increase in the number of child sexual abuse imagery found online from the previous year. New and emerging technologies like Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (ER) are turbocharging the rate of abuse, generating child sexual abuse material at a scale and speed never seen before.  

Safe Online has joined hands with survivors and global child protection organisations to call upon key actors to prevent and end the sexual exploitation and abuse of children online and create a safer digital future for every child.

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Plan International UK

Our grantees Plan International UK Cyber-safe Spaces for Children and Youth in Manila and Quezon City Countries involved:The Philippines In the Philippines, Plan International United Kingdom is working in the Philippines to ensure children are protected from online sexual exploitation and abuse, perpetrators are apprehended and prosecutors, and children enjoy the benefits

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UNICEF Ethiopia

Our grantees UNICEF Ethiopia Strengthening Child Protection in Ethiopia to prevent and respond to violence against children, including online child sexual abuse and exploitation Countries involved:October 2017 – October 2019 UNICEF Ethiopia’s project will focus on strengthening child protection systems, including social welfare and justice systems, to prevent and respond to

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Plan International Vietnam

Our grantees Plan International Vietnam Countries involved:Viet Nam Plan International’s project will address gaps in the child protection system to respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), working with adolescents, schools, parents and service providers to set up an innovative community-based survivor support model to improve the reporting of

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Our purpose in detail

We are here to ensure every child and young person grows in to the digital world feeling safe, and is protected from harm.

We support, champion, and invest in innovative partners from the public, private, and third sectors working towards the same objective.

We believe in equipping guardians and young people with the skills to understand and see danger themselves once accessing digital experiences without supervision.

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