For the first time ever, International Justice Mission (IJM), in collaboration with the world-leading University of Nottingham Rights Lab in the U.K., has been able to quantify the prevalence of the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC). The findings are eye-opening. Last year, 1 in 100 children were sexually exploited in livestreams, videos and new abuse images in the Philippines. This is one of the key findings of the Scale of Harm study that examined the production of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) for profit. The findings present ground-breaking new research — a wakeup call that cannot be ignored. The study included valuable input from Filipino survivors, who helped design and lead elements of the study.
Ruby (not real name), a survivor who was only 15 years old when she was tricked and exploited to produce child sexual exploitation material, was one of them. She said: “As a survivor who knows the pain of online sexual exploitation, the Scale of Harm study’s findings underscore the urgency for stronger collective action to protect innocent children.” The Australian Institute of Criminology applauded IJM’s efforts as it helped clarify the extend of harm. Deputy Director, Dr. Rick Brown shared: “We believe this study will help to drive further action to protect future generations of children from experiencing online sexual exploitation.” Action is needed from governments, tech companies and financial institutions.
Source: International Justice Mission
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