Save the Children Sweden

In Peru, the Fund is supporting Save the Children Sweden’s programme to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse, which is operating on a number of different levels. The organisation has reached hundreds of children with information on online violence by training adolescent leaders who cascade information to their peers, broadcasting messages in schools, and empowering adolescents to lead public events about the risks and dangers of online abuse. Save the Children has also promoted activism among adolescents, helping them promote awareness through communications campaigns and dialogue spaces with authorities.

The project is also reaching adults: for example, they have developed an online course, Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents in Online Environments, for child protection service providers. They are also training members of the criminal justice system, developing curricula for teachers, education staff and health care providers, and increasing knowledge of online sexual exploitation and abuse within schools.

The Fund’s support has also allowed Save the Children Sweden to conduct a baseline study on sexual violence and its impact on children, and create national communications and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness of online sexual violence against children.