Global report SAYS online child Abuse increased During pandemic

The pandemic has contributed to a significant spike in child sexual exploitation and abuse online, a recent global study has revealed.

According to the 2021 Global Threat Assessment report, published by Weprotect Global Alliance (a global movement of more than 200 governments, private sector companies and civil society organisations), almost one in two respondents, 44 per cent, from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) experienced sexual harm online at least once during childhood.

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

More than one in three respondents (34 per cent) had been asked to do something sexually explicit online that they were uncomfortable with during their childhood.

The rise in child ‘self-generated’ sexual material is another trend that challenges existing response models, with the Internet Watch Foundation observing a 77 per cent increase in child ‘self-generated’ sexual material from 2019 to 2020, the report read. It cited the Covid pandemic as a contributor to the spike in online abuse.

While the Mena percentage is one of the lowest, it still demands attention. Iain Drennan, executive director of Weprotect Global Alliance, said: “The internet has become central to children’s lives, even more so as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, we have observed an increase in the scale and complexity of child sexual abuse online. This report should act as a wake-up call to us all.”