The online world is moving fast. In the last three decades, our lives have transformed beyond recognition. From days when we were connecting online from old-LAN computers and cell phones, we now find ourselves immersed in an uncontrolled digital revolution, with Artificial Intelligence and the realms of the Metaverse knocking at our screens.
Yet, as our digital world expands, so do its challenges. Beneath the wonders of the online world lies a darker reality, which contains new forms of dangers such as identity theft, data breaches, violence and discrimination. Worst among these harms, child sexual abuse and exploitation is increasing and evolving every year.
Child sexual abuse and exploitation is happening online, often out of our sight, but with real consequences for the children around us. To prevent harm, it is essential to comprehend the workings of the online world and implement measures that safeguard children from online sexual abuse—without resorting to a complete prohibition of internet access or other restrictive measures. It’s about knowing and using a range of methods and tools to both protect and empower children in their digital lives.
With a focus on the tools to prevent child sexual abuse online, ECPAT calls on government officials, tech companies, professionals, and caregivers to unite and activate on this issue. How? The answers lie in becoming aware of the risks and manifestations of child sexual abuse online and learn which tools are available to fight this horrendous crime. It’s a collective responsibility to educate ourselves and act, ensuring children benefit from the internet and are protected from harm.
Meet ECPAT Project Beacon – Putting children’s rights into the heart of digital policy
What do the EU citizens really think about data privacy and child protection online?
How far are we to ensure Child Safety Online in the EU? A timeline of events.
Towards online child protection in the EU
Why Does Online Child Protection Matter? Here is ECPAT Project Beacon to explain why
ECPAT welcomes European Commission’s proposal to prevent and combat child sexual abuse
What is ECPAT doing to ensure Child Safety Online in the EU?
The purpose of this framework is to contribute to improved child protection outcomes in travel and tourism, as the result of providing tourism educational professionals with a set of core competencies that can be used as a guidance when developing curricula, modules and training.
This core competencies framework for tourism education professionals to integrate child protection into training curricula is based on identified knowledge, skills and attitudes that have been agreed as essential elements to effectively protect children and youth in the travel and tourism context.
Available in: English
This case study on how to regulate voluntourism that involves children is based on the analysis of actionable models resulting from the experiences of the selected origin and destination countries that undertook efforts to address this issue over the last years. The approaches and promising practices in this case study are presented as practical examples, with a technical brief to guide governments, businesses, civil society organisations, and other institutions to build effective partnerships and take action to protect children from the negative impacts of unregulated voluntourism.
Available in: English, Spanish
This brief is based on a secondary analysis of reports published in the context of the Disrupting Harm project conducted across 13 countries and focusing on the topic of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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.
Available in: English
This brief is based on a secondary analysis of reports published in the context of the Disrupting Harm project conducted across 13 countries and focusing on the topic of 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.
Available in: English
This brief is based on a secondary analysis of reports published in the context of the Disrupting Harm project conducted across 13 countries and focusing on the topic of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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.
Available in: English
Authored by She Leads Girls and Young Women Advocates, this report bridges a critical gap in understanding the extent and impact of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and online sexual exploitation and abuse on girls and young women across the continent, particularly Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
This document serves as a powerful tool for evidence-based advocacy, enabling girls, young women, and organizations led by them to assert their rights and demand safer digital spaces.
Available in: English