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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University of East London, 5rights Foundation & the University of Rwanda

Our grantees University of East London, 5rights Foundation & the University of Rwanda Creating and Supporting a Child Online Protection Policy in Rwanda Countries involved:October 2017 – October 2019 In Rwanda, the University of East London partnered with 5Rights Foundation and the University of Rwanda to support to the Government of Rwanda in its development of

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UNICEF Mongolia

Our grantees UNICEF Mongolia Adopting the Model National Response to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Mongolia Countries involved:Mongolia In Mongolia, the Fund is supporting UNICEF Mongolia’s project to increase national-level commitment to ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse. UNICEF Mongolia is pushing to implement the Model National

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Bridging Perspectives at TrustCon 2024: Our Workshop Experience

TrustCon 2024, one of the leading events in the Trust & Safety community attended by over 1300 participants, provided an amazing platform for engagement and collaboration among professionals from various sectors. Our workshop was a blend of fireside chat, lightning talks, and breakout sessions for Q&A with researchers, ending with an energetic brainstorming session.

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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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Save the Children Sweden

Our grantees Save the Children Sweden Combating Online Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of Children and Adolescents Countries involved:October 2017 – October 2019 In Peru, the Fund is supporting Save the Children Sweden’s programme to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse, which is operating on a number of different levels. The organisation

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University of Kent 2

Our grantees University of Kent A Serious Game for a Serious Issue: Combatting Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking via a Digital Game Countries involved:Thailand, Cambodia University of Kent will prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse of children in Thailand and Cambodia by educating them about online child sexual exploitation

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Narrative-driven case studies

Exciting Opportunity! Safe Online is looking for an agency to conduct in-depth, narrative-driven case studies in the Global South that highlight best practices, enablers, and lessons learned in achieving systemic responses to online CSEA! This work is part of Safe Online’s broader evidence and learning agenda, aimed at generating actionable,

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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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