COVID-19 has led children to spend more time online than ever before. One year ago, we saw the beginning of a massive shift: from classrooms to computers, playdates to video calls, and playgrounds to video games. Today, studies in some countries suggest children’s time on digital platforms has increased by up to 500%.
Though the internet provides countless opportunities for children, it is not without risk – including the threat of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Even before COVID-19, 750,000 individuals around the world were estimated to be looking to connect with children online for sexual purposes, with the main target being children under age 13. And in 2020, more than 21.7 million reports of child sexual abuse imagery were reported to NCMEC – the highest number in the organisation’s history.
We all have a responsibility to speak up for children’s safety online, including parents, teachers, communities, governments and technology companies. If you think someone you know might be in danger, do not wait another moment. Report abuse (or suspected abuse) today.
The collection of resources below will help you do so.
If you or someone you know is in danger, contact the police or emergency services in your country as soon as possible. If you see something, you have a responsibility to say something – for the good of children everywhere.
Seek help and report abuse
Check out Child Helpline International’s global list of helplines and locate one in your country. Through these helplines, trained professionals will respond to your messages and provide the information you need – confidentially.
Report images, videos and websites with child sexual abuse material
Explore the global list of INHOPE hotlines to find out if there is one in your country. You can also report directly to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Cybertipline or through the Internet Watch Foundation’s reporting portals.
Many social media companies have embedded reporting mechanisms into their platforms.
Quick fixes
Make sure your children are social media ready and teach them to report abuse
Explore more resources
For shorter versions of this PSA, please click here for a 15-second clip and here for a 10-second clip.
For shorter versions of this PSA, please click here for a 15-second clip and here for a 10-second clip.
End Violence teamed up with our partners in the technology sector – Microsoft, Twitter, TikTok and Roblox – to boost awareness of online sexual exploitation and abuse of young people across the globe.
Together, we have created two videos that help illustrate some of the risks children face online, with a focus on sexual exploitation and abuse. We have also collected a set of resources to help tackle them, including essential reporting helplines, hotlines and social media platforms.
Universal internet access is predicted by, at the very latest, 2050 – and COVID-19 has only sped up that process. This expansion will bring about unprecedented opportunities and incredible connections. But to truly harness those benefits, we need to make the internet safe for its most vulnerable users: our children.
