Fighting online child sexual exploitation
By Kudakwashe Mushayavanhu.
Cases involving online child sexual exploitation and abuse are surging, with reporting and disclosing incidents very low. Locally, about 20,000 children aged 12 to 17 fell victim to online sexual exploitation and abuse in the last year. (According to disrupt harm in Namibia report.) This is appalling.
What is most disturbing is that 30% of children who have experienced abuse online have not disclosed their experiences to anyone. I wish this were hyperbole. Blackmailing children to engage in sexual activities, sharing their sexual images without permission, or coercing them to engage in sexual activities through promises of money or gifts, are examples of the exploitation children experience.
As has been discussed ad nauseam, the sheer power of social media has been breathtaking. Social media offers enormous opportunities for social interaction, most teenagers would argue it is crucial to their socialization experience. If they’re not online, they fear missing out. The rapid development and exponential growth in the use of electronic, computer-based communication and information sharing via the Internet affirm the many benefits that result from Internet usage.
However, there has been little recognition of the dangers that may arise from the use of such technology. We are seeing headline after headline of people using social media for nefarious purposes. The Internet, needless to say, is a new medium through which some commonly recognised forms of child maltreatment, sexual and emotional abuse, may be pursued.
Online child abuse is a problem that’s become pervasive. The perpetrators have moved from the street to the mobile screen, and it’s no easy feat escaping harassment that essentially lives in your pocket. These crimes have a devastating impact on victims. The trauma of the abused is massively compounded by the fact that victims don’t even have the most basic redress: the power to stop intimate images from spreading. Imagine then, not only feeling humiliation at a given moment but feeling it again and again and again each time that video or picture resurfaces, as is the nature of the internet.
It is up to us to ensure that the Internet remains safe for young people to explore and achieve their true potential. To start with, parents need to understand that the technology they give to their children can be used to break the law and inflict harm. Thus, I empower parents to understand that allowing their children the privilege of going online comes with responsibility and liability. It is only with continued vigilance, and education of children and parents, that we might someday ultimately halt child sexual abuse.
More important, however, there must be urgent action to help the kids who are currently on social media (and those who will be soon). Every parent and guardian, no matter where you stand on this issue, should be pushing for increased education about internet safety. Put another way, education is the best abuse prevention tool. Establishing clear guidelines online, teaching children to spot red flags, and encouraging children to stop talking to strangers online will guarantee an online safety plan.
Improving understanding of digital platforms and Technologies, and strengthening children’s digital literacy to provide them with the skills and understanding needed to avoid or navigate dangerous situations online are just a few positive steps in fighting this menace. Most importantly, there is an urgent need to explicitly criminalise specific online child sexual exploitation and abuse-related crimes, such as live-streaming of child sexual abuse, online grooming, and sexual extortion.
I envisage a future where all children are free from harm and through joint efforts from parents, civic society, and the government it can be a reality.
*Kudakwashe holds a master’s degree in journalism and media technology from the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
