Disrupting Harm

In a unique collaboration ECPAT International, INTERPOL and UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti have combined forces to assess the context, threat and collect children’s perspectives of online child sexual exploitation and abuse in 25 countries in 6 regions. This ground-breaking project was made possible with funding from Safe Online.

The uniqueness of this research lies in its multisectoral approach and its comprehensive methodology which enables countries to compare results, identify national differences and global similarities, and help policymakers and practitioners understand how this problem needs to be tackled in-country and internationally.

The success of the first phase of the project (2019 – 2022) in 13 countries across Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) and Eastern and Souther Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda) has led to a renewed $7 million commitment in 2022 and expansion in 12 countries across 4 regions (Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia) leading to a total investment of $15 million across 25 countries.

KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE FIRST PHASE OF DISRUPTING HARM

Disrupting Harm data estimates that millions of children were subjected to online sexual exploitation and abuse across the 13 countries in one year alone. The proportions of children subjected to this type of abuse and exploitation in the year prior to the study varied from 1% in Viet Nam to 20% of children in the Philippines. Scaled to the general population of Internet-using children, these estimates represent millions of children in each country.
In almost all 13 countries, perpetrators of online child sexual exploitation and abuse were more likely to be someone the child already knew. While unknown people still present a considerable risk, especially for children in some countries (primarily Malaysia and the Philippines), the danger is often closer to home.
Almost one in three children who had been subjected to online sexual exploitation and abuse did not disclose the sexual explotiation and abuse to anyone with almost half saying they didn’t know where to go or who to tell.
Sexual abuse often occurred through a mix of online and in-person interactions shattering the misconception that it remains limited to the digital world

Vist Safe Online’s website to learn more here.

In the first phase of Disrupting Harm:

Context

ECPAT

ECPAT conducted a comprehensive analysis of the existing research, legislation, policy, and systems addressing online child sexual exploitation and abuse for each target country, as well as collect data in the 13 countries.

Up to 12 in-depth interviews with senior national duty-bearers from governments
Information from hot- and helplines and the Internet industry to complement INTERPOL’s threat assessment
Face-to-face surveys with 50 welfare staff per country to understand the scale, scope, and context of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse
Interviews with 10 survivors of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse, their parents and caregivers, and 10 justice stakeholders per country to assess access justice
Interviews with 33 survivors of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse in Cambodia, Malaysia, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa. ECPAT members played a crucial role in collecting data
In Southeast Asia, we partnered with: APLE Cambodia, ECPAT Indonesia, ECPAT Philippines, and ECPAT Foundation Thailand.
In Africa, we collaborated with EDA in Ethiopia, KAACR in Kenya, Rede Da Criança in Mozambique, Lifeline/Childline Namibia, Jelly Beanz in South Africa, C-SEMA and KIWOHEDE in Tanzania, and UYDEL in Uganda.

Assess Threat

INTERPOL

For each country, INTERPOL collected data law enforcement agencies, NGOs and the Internet industry to measure the scope and nature of the problem. INTERPOL also conducted a needs analysis of the capacity of law enforcement agencies to counter technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Children’s Perspectives

UNICEF

UNICEF conducted nationally-representative household surveys with around 1,000 children and 1,000 of their caregivers in each of the 13 countries. The purpose was to hear directly from children and parents about children’s online experiences.

RESOURCES

CONVERSATIONS WITH SURVIVORS REPORT

Disrupting Harm: Conversations With Young Survivors About Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse centres the perspectives of young survivors from 5 of the 13 countries included in the research project. The conversations focus on understanding and interpreting what these young people were subjected to, as well as their ideas concerning the best solutions. Read the full report:

Disrupting Harm: Conversations With Young Survivors About Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

COUNTRY REPORTS

Leveraging the unique and comprehensive evidence gathered, Disrupting Harm identifies practical and actionable solutions to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation both online and in-person. The country reports share the findings of children’s perceptions of and participation in various online practices, as well as expose their experiences of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse across 13 countries: Kenya, Uganda, Thailand, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Philippines, Viet Nam, Namibia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Mozambique, and South Africa.

South Africa
Disrupting Harm in South Africa – National Report
Disrupting Harm in South Africa – Advocacy Brief

Preliminary Reports
Interviews with Government Duty Bearers
Frontline Workers’ Survey
Access to Justice Interviews with Justice Professionals
Legal Framework Analysis

Mozambique
Disrupting Harm in Mozambique – National Report English | Portuguese
Disrupting Harm in Mozambique – Advocacy Brief

Preliminary Reports
Interviews with Government Duty Bearers
Frontline Workers’ Survey
Legal Framework Analysis

Cambodia
Disrupting Harm in Cambodia – National Report English | Khmer
Disrupting Harm in Cambodia – Advocacy Brief English | Khmer

Malaysia
Disrupting Harm in Malaysia – National Report English | Malay
Disrupting Harm in Malaysia – Advocacy Brief English | Malay

Preliminary Reports
Interviews with Government Duty Bearers
Frontline Workers’ Survey
Access to Justice Interviews with Justice Professionals
Legal Framework analysis

Indonesia
Disrupting Harm in Indonesia – National Report English | Bahasa
Disrupting Harm in Indonesia – Advocacy Brief English | Bahasa

Preliminary Reports
Interviews with Government Duty Bearers
Frontline Workers’ Survey
Access to Justice Interviews with Justice Professionals
Legal Framework analysis

Namibia
Disrupting Harm in Namibia – National Report
Disrupting Harm in Namibia – Advocacy Brief

Viet Nam
Disrupting Harm in Viet Nam – National Report English | Vietnamese
Disrupting Harm in Viet Nam – Advocacy Brief English | Vietnamese

The Philippines
Disrupting Harm in the Philippines – National Report
Disrupting Harm in the Philippines – Advocacy Brief

Ethiopia
Disrupting Harm in Ethiopia – National Report English | Amharic
Disrupting Harm in Ethiopia – Advocacy Brief English | Amharic

Tanzania
Disrupting Harm in Tanzania – National Report
Disrupting Harm in Tanzania – Advocacy Brief

Thailand
Disrupting Harm in Thailand – National Report English | Thai
Disrupting Harm in Thailand – Advocacy Brief English | Thai

Uganda
Disrupting Harm in Uganda – National Report
Disrupting Harm in Uganda – Advocacy Brief

Kenya
Disrupting Harm in Kenya – Report
Disrupting Harm in Kenya – Advocacy Brief

DATA INSIGHTS SERIES

The Data Insights are part of a series of thematic briefs that explores pressing issues emerging from the research and recommends ways for key entities and individuals to improve prevention and response.

LEARNING BRIEFS

Following the release of the country reports from the first iteration of Disrupting Harm, ECPAT conducted secondary analysis to further delve into specific themes. Access them below:

Addressing the need for comprehensive sexuality and relationships education to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse
This secondary analysis highlighted a significant insight: a substantial number of children and caregivers lack awareness and understanding of online child sexual exploitation and abuse, which affects their ability to appropriately recognise and respond to such abuses.

Gender considerations in online child sexual exploitation and abuse: a focus on boys
This secondary analysis highlighted a significant insight: while gender does not determine the risk of such form of abuse and exploitation, gender norms and biases often hinder boys from recognising their victimisation and seeking assistance.

Understanding risks and instances of online child sexual exploitation and abuse in urban and rural settings
This secondary analysis highlighted a significant insight: despite conventional beliefs that link widespread urban connectivity with increased vulnerability to online child sexual exploitation and abuse, the Disrupting Harm research shows that children in rural areas are equally or even more vulnerable to these risks compared to their urban counterparts.

ECPAT wishes to acknowledge the hard work that made this project possible from the ECPAT member organisations in each country and a large team of ECPAT colleagues and researchers.