The recently released Global Threat Assessment Report 2021 by WeProtect Global Alliance has shed light on an alarming increase in child sexual exploitation and abuse online during the Covid-19 pandemic. This article discusses the details of the report, the corresponding situation in India, the challenges in managing this grave issue, ongoing preventive measures in India, and potential solutions.
Increase in Online Child Sexual Exploitation – Insights from the Report
Over the past two years, the reported incidents of child sexual exploitation and online abuse have reached their highest level. The Covid-19 pandemic has created a ‘perfect storm’ of conditions, intensifying the rise in child sexual exploitation and abuse worldwide. A worrying trend is the surge in child ‘self-generated’ sexual content, as highlighted by the Internet Watch Foundation. Furthermore, transgender/non-binary, LGBQ+ and/or disabled children are more likely to experience online sexual harm.
The Situation in India
During the pandemic, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a U.S. Congress-established NGO, noted a remarkable 106% increase in reports of suspected child sexual exploitation to its global CyberTipline. Moreover, there was a 95% rise in searches for child sexual abuse material during the Covid-19 lockdown in India.
Challenges Posed by Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse has a multi-layered detrimental impact on children’s physical safety, mental health, well-being, and behavior. The proliferation of mobile and digital technologies can amplify child abuse and has led to the emergence of new forms of child abuse like online bullying, harassment, and child pornography.
India’s Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act 2012 (POCSO Act) has been largely ineffective due to reasons such as low conviction rate under the POCSO act (only about 32%), high pendency (90% of cases), and delays in the judicial process. Furthermore, these laws often fail to consider the child’s mental age, focusing only on the biological age.
Indian Initiatives for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
India has launched numerous initiatives to combat child sexual abuse, such as the Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation Unit, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, Juvenile Justice Act/Care and Protection Act 2000, Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006, Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act 2016, and Operation Smile.
Way Forward – Reinforcing Measures against Child Sexual Abuse
The Global Threat Assessment Report 2021 underlines the importance of prioritising prevention activities against abuse and creating safe online spaces for children. It strongly encourages collective action, involving parents, schools, communities, NGO partners, local governments, police, and lawyers, in implementing legal frameworks, policies, national strategies, and standards more effectively. Developing a comprehensive outreach system with a multi-stakeholder approach is integral to dramatically improving our response to this alarming issue.
