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.
Our grantees Middlesex University Invisible Risks Countries involved:United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland We know that online child sexual abuse material is highly damaging to children. But today, little primary research exists about the impact such material has on content moderators – individuals who are charged with constantly
Our grantees EPCAT International (Disrupting Harm) Disrupting Harm 2 Countries involved:Thailand Disrupting Harm is a large-scale data collection and research project to better understand online child sexual exploitation and abuse across the world. This study is assessing the scale, nature and context of this issue in 14 countries across Southern
Our grantees National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline Countries involved:United States of America NCMEC’s CyberTipline will enhance a critical survivor-serving tool through a more accessible public reporting process for children, caregivers, and the general public. By reducing the burden of child sexual abuse reporting and developing a
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All imagery is taken from the Safe Online and UNICEF image library
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.