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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Recap – Safe digital futures for children: Data for change

In October 2024, the Data for Change community gathered in London for a two-day technical workshop, bringing together over 40 experts from government, tech companies, civil society, and academia. The event focused on strengthening the global data ecosystem for online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) and fostering collaborative solutions to improve the use of data to protect children online.

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Internet Watch Foundation 2

Our grantees Internet Watch Foundation Rethink ChatBot Countries involved:United Kingdom Internet Watch Foundation will continue developing its reThink Chatbot, an automated device that detects potential offenders and refers them to support through the Lucy Faithfull Foundation. By redirecting potential offenders to self-help programmes, this project will not only reduce the demand for CSAM

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International Association of Internet Hotlines (InHope)

Our grantees International Association of Internet Hotlines (InHope) ESCAPE Countries involved:The Netherlands With support from Safe Online, the International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) launched the programme – ESCAPE – to develop automation and intelligence tools for faster classification of CSAM reporting. These tools will allow hotline analysts and law enforcement officers

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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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Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study Countries involved:Colombia In Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena, Red PaPaz is partnering with Fundacion Renacer and UNICEF Colombia to work on multiple levels to end online violence against children.

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Woman writing in notebook

Policy Proposal 3

As part of Together to #ENDviolence, experts from across the End Violence community came together to prepare a prioritized set of policy proposals to end violence against children. The result is six game-changing policy proposals, backed by evidence and research on what works to protect children.

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UNICEF Albania

Our grantees UNICEF Albania Safer and Better Internet for Children and Youth in Albania Countries involved:Albania UNICEF Albania is using support from the Fund to end violence against children online on multiple levels. To reach children, the agency is training children to become peer educators on online violence, increasing their knowledge

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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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