Context The Global Threat Assessment report 2021 was recently launched by We Protect Global Alliance.
We Protect Global Alliance is a global movement of more than 200 governments, private sector companies and civil society organisations working together to transform the global response to child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
Key findings
underfunded: Child sexual abuse remains a chronically underfunded issue.
COVID-19 impact: COVID-19 had contributed to a significant spike in child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
Highest reporting: In the past two years, the reporting of child sexual exploitation and online abuse has reached its highest level.
Self-generated abuse: The Internet Watch Foundation observed a 77% increase in child ‘self-generated’ (arising without apparent external cause) sexual material from 2019 to 2020.
Tools to detect: Only 37% currently use tools to detect online grooming.
Online grooming is where someone befriends a child online and builds up their trust with the intention of exploiting them and causing them harm.
Suggestions:
Prioritise prevention activities against abuse,
Creating safe online environments for children
Stakeholders who have a role to protect children must work together to improve the response.
