More than 3 million users registered on child sexual abuse sites

IN THE past two years, the reporting of child sexual exploitation and abuse online has reached its highest levels, with the Covid-19 pandemic being a huge contributory factor behind the spike in reported incidents.

This is according to WeProtect Global Alliance who published its 2021 Global Threat Assessment recently.

The report says the scale is unprecedented, with more than 3 million accounts registered across the 10 most harmful child sexual abuse sites on the dark web.

Unicef South Africa and the Department of Social Development commissioned the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) at Unisa to conduct a survey earlier this year.

The survey found that one-third of children in South Africa are at risk of online violence, exploitation and abuse.

It also found that 70% of children surveyed use the internet without parental consent.

A total of 67% of child participants who have seen sexual images were exposed to them on an online device.

There has been an alarming increase in child “self-generated” sexual material.

Self-generated content can include child sexual abuse content created using webcams, sometimes in the child’s own room, and then shared online.

Internet Watch Foundation observing a 77% increase in child “self-generated” sexual material from 2019 to 2020.

As part of the report, a global study of childhood experiences of more than 5 000 young adults, aged 18 to 20, across 54 countries was completed by Economist Impact.

More than one in three respondents (34%) had been asked to do something sexually explicit online during their childhood.

Cornelius Williams, director, Child Protection Programme Team, Unicef said: “It is clear that technology is dramatically changing the nature of child sexual exploitation and abuse online around the world, including across the African continent. No country is immune. Offenders have new ways to access and abuse children. It’s crucial that countries invest in systems and services for child protection to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place. This takes a co-ordinated effort within each country and across the globe.”

The survey also shows that girls and respondents who identified as transgender/non-binary, LGBQ+ and/ or disabled were more likely to experience online sexual harms during childhood.