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Mapping online child safety in Asia and the Pacific
Asia & The Pacific Policy Studies
Abstract and Figures
In today's age, the Internet has become essential for children's education and social development. Yet the very same technologies can expose children to online harm, which can negatively impact their well‐being and safety. These risks are becoming more serious as Internet penetration rises, particularly in emerging countries that have limited resources and capacities to tackle complex issues such as online sexual abuse, cyberbullying, and Internet addiction. As research on the entire range of risks that children are exposed to online is limited, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, this study aims to initiate the process of filling this knowledge gap and proposes a set of policy recommendations to address the challenge of balancing children's online opportunities and risks. A key finding from the study is the need for a multistakeholder and collaborative approach to ensure the online safety of children, which must include children themselves.
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... Two reviewers (GÁ-G and KKG) assessed the quality of the studies, and a third reviewer was also consulted (ML) to resolve any conflicts. Five studies were rated [17][18][19][20][21] as a high risk of bias, and eight were rated as a low risk of bias [4,13,[22][23][24][25][26][27]. The characteristics of included studies are included in Table 2. ...
... Several studies mention that children and adolescents with disabilities are identified as vulnerable to online victimization [4,20,23]. Specific disabilities are mentioned, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [17,26,27], Williams Syndrome [17,26], intellectual disabilities [22,26,27], 22q11 deletion syndrome (which involves developmental delays and may face mild intellectual disability or learning disabilities) [26], and physical disabilities [23,25] including deafness [18], and chronic health problems [25]. However, it should be noted that this does not imply that these specific groups of children have a higher likelihood of experiencing OCSEA, but they were identified as victims in the studies reviewed. ...
... Several studies mention that children and adolescents with disabilities are identified as vulnerable to online victimization [4,20,23]. Specific disabilities are mentioned, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [17,26,27], Williams Syndrome [17,26], intellectual disabilities [22,26,27], 22q11 deletion syndrome (which involves developmental delays and may face mild intellectual disability or learning disabilities) [26], and physical disabilities [23,25] including deafness [18], and chronic health problems [25]. However, it should be noted that this does not imply that these specific groups of children have a higher likelihood of experiencing OCSEA, but they were identified as victims in the studies reviewed. ...
Online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) is a rising global problem affecting children and adolescents worldwide. Despite the escalating prevalence of OCSEA, there is limited research specifically focusing on children and adolescents with disabilities. To bridge this gap, this systematic review was conducted to identify the prevalence, nature and associated risk factors of OCSEA of children and adolescents with disabilities. Following the PRISMA Statement, this systematic review included scientific evidence from 12 academic databases and the gray literature published between 1993 and 2023. A total of 13 studies were extracted, and thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the data. The findings of this systematic review reveal the characteristics such as the gender, age and type of disabilities of OCSEA victims. Perpetrators use diverse techniques, including online grooming, manipulation, and cyber-threats, resulting in consequences such as mental health issues and social isolation of victims. The associated risk factors include lack of parental monitoring, social isolation, and low risk perception. The results of this research provide crucial insights into OCSEA of children and adolescents with disabilities, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and further exploration in this understudied area.
... Internet is gaining popularity in the life of children for their education and social development [1]. Children, presently can access Internet through mobile devices such as cellular phones, laptops, desktops and other gadgets [2]. ...
... These threats and risks impact the young minds of children negatively and compromise their online safety. With increased Internet availability, the risks may be severe in developing countries as it is difficult to manage online threats with limited resources [1] [5]. ...
... As the Internet penetration rises, risks pertaining to children on the Internet are rising especially in developing countries like India since the resources are limited and the capability to tackle such kind of issues is complex. [1]. In recent years 2016, 2017 and 2018, the crimes against children in India are 106958, 129032 and 141764 respectively [8]. ...
... The under 10 year's old youngsters in China possess a cell phone, and 30% of kids under 6 years have utilized a tablet. Thus this amount increases highly, and a recent research report shows that 97 percent of kids use the mobile phone, while 90 percent of the parents provide the mobile to their children [11][12]. Likewise, in Pakistan, 48% of youngsters own a mobile phone [13]. ...
... In most developing countries of Asia, observation and filtration of online content are performed at local and national levels to prevent children from accessing indecent content. However, in some Asian countries, there is no policy or legislative rule regarding indecent content available online, which leads the people to be involved in such a heinous act; thus, the nation faces child abuse rates at a large scale [11,33]. ...
With the emergence of internet use during the last two decades, the number of websites provides indecent content that negatively affects children. The reading and watching of these indecent contents facilitate the evil-minded people target innocent children and harass them. The excessive use of the Internet harms children and has negative impacts on them. The reason is that a large number of teenagers spent mos t of their time watching indecent content, like vulgar videos and images, etc. The government of Asian countries (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Afghanistan) introduced several legislative policies to control such acts. This paper mainly focuses on abusiveness among persons of vario us ages (child, youngster, and other) and minor sex. The primary aim of this research is to highlight child abuse in Pakistan and discuss factors causing distinct heinous crimes paths vis-à-vis other Asian-Countries. However, the causing factor is also nearly similar for Asian countries. The paper explains t he gender-based crime rate among different countries, different legislative frameworks, and punishments taken by various Asian countries' governmen ts for awareness of the layman. A comparative analysis of Pakistan with other Asian countries regarding child abuse, indecent contents available on web pages of the Internet, and legislative framework has been discussed in this paper.
... It can cause a child to experience isolation, fear, anxiety, and distrust, which may further lead to lifelong psychological consequences such as academic difficulties, low self-esteem, depression, and difficulty forming and sustaining relationships [13,18,36]. Unfortunately, the rapid development and adoption of electronic devices have made CSEA extremely prevalent online [15,19,63,66]. Typically, online CSEA may happen in the form of uploading inappropriate images/videos of child pornography [31,42], online grooming [29], sex chatting [4,46], and cyber-bullying [5,57,75]. ...
Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) online has become a major safety issue for children to access the Internet. To combat CSEA, electronics services providers (ESP) have implemented various mechanisms to detect child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). However, these mechanisms, despite their capability to prevent the mass distribution of CSAM online, may raise significant privacy concerns among general users. In this paper, we conducted a semi-structured interview study with 23 participants to understand their privacy perceptions of two types of online CSAM detection mechanisms. Our results suggested that users were concerned about the transparency of the detection process, inappropriate access to users' data, and unclear boundaries of such mechanisms. Our results also highlight that, even though the majority of participants choose to sacrifice their privacy for societal benefits, they still have privacy concerns that need to be addressed. We discuss the design and policy implications for ESP to improve users' awareness of the data practices of these mechanisms, alleviate users' privacy concerns, and increase societal benefits.
... While the Internet offers essential opportunities for children's education and social development (Singh 2018), the use of serious games as a form of education and training has become an increasingly preferred practice (Zhao et al. 2019). On the other hand, telehealth technologies offer an innovative approach for trained professionals to effectively and efficiently improve access to mental health services in underserved schools in various locations (Stewart et al. 2019). ...
Child abuse and neglect is a widespread social problem. The prevalence of this problem threatens the present and future of children. Although various prevention programs have been proposed in the literature as a solution to the problem of child abuse and neglect, recently, technological applications have been increasingly used in prevention and intervention studies for abuse and neglect. This study aims to review the current literature on technologically assisted programs for preventing child abuse and neglect. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was used to identify eligible studies. 22 evidence-based studies with pretest-posttest control were included in the review. The reviewed programs were structured to educate parents, children, and various professionals on appropriate parenting skills and child abuse and neglect. In the studies reviewed, web/internet-based applications were mostly used and effectiveness evaluation studies were mainly conducted on parents. With the exception of one study, the programs were found to be effective following interventions for abuse and neglect, and cognitive and behavioral improvements were noted in parents, children, and other professionals. As a result, it can be said that technology-based prevention programs are accepted practices for child abuse and neglect. To date, however, there is little data to support the use of such studies in preventive practices and strategies. More studies are needed to test the effectiveness of technological applications in preventing abuse among children and adolescents.
... If equal importance is not placed on sex traf cking of children and adults, and the use of online tools in recruitment and exploitation of trafcking victims, resourcing and cooperation becomes problematic (Wall, 2007). Since online sex traf cking may affect different states, a global response should prioritise the harmonisation of national and international legislation as inconsistencies weaken coordinated responses (Singh, 2018). In this sense, differences in legislation would not only de ne the workability of the country towards the issue of online sex traf cking but also the extent of cooperation with other agencies. ...
Background: Online sexual abuse is a growing concern in Bangladesh, particularly as children are increasingly accessing the internet and social media. This paper examines the prevalence and impact of online sexual abuse on children in Bangladesh, and provides policy recommendations to protect children from this type of abuse.
Methods: This policy brief was prepared after reviewing findings of the research works conducted on online child sexual abuse.
Results: Around 86% female and 91% male children of Bangladesh use the internet. Among the internet users, about one in two children are sexually abused. In addition to the Children Act 2013, the government of Bangladesh enacted the ICT Act 2006 and the Digital Security Act 2018 to address cybercrimes. However, these acts do not specifically address the issue of online child sexual abuse. In addition, the legal provisions lack strict enforcement and the media at times discloses the identities of child victims including images.
Policy recommendations: The government, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders need to take a comprehensive approach to protect children from online sexual abuse including improving the legal framework, strengthening child protection mechanisms, increasing awareness and education on safe internet use, and empowering children and their families to report incidents of online sexual abuse. Anonymous reporting system needs to be developed and strict legal measures must be enforced.
Conclusion: Protecting children from online sexual abuse requires a sustained multi-stakeholder approach that involves the government, civil society organizations, parents, educators, and children themselves.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Journal 2023;16(2): 111-117
Premarital sexual behavior adolescents in Indonesian continues to increase from year to year. If not addressed will have an impact on various aspects of physical, psychosocial and economic. This effect is seen in the incidence of unwanted pregnancy, abortion, dropping out of school and being infected with an STI. Various studies have shown that one of the efforts to overcome it by increasing adolescent knowledge about reproductive health. This study aims to examine the implementation of sexual education programs in adolescents to find the best methods that can be integrated into the Indonesian government program.The research method is literature review by analyzing 16 selected literature obtained from Google Scholar, J.Stor.org, Springerlink and Proquest. Criteria for articles chosen is relevant to the title, taken from 2014-2020.The literature review results found that the cause of the unsuccessful sexual education program for adolescents in Indonesia is related to the factors of cost, human resources, commitment, organizational structure and administration. Also in Indonesia sexual education is still part of the extra-curricular although WHO has recommended a comprehensive sexual education program (CSE) by involving all related components namely parents, schools, communities, government and adolescents themselves and integrated in the core curriculum. The CSE program needs to be strengthened by integrating cultural and religious norms and values, friendly education methods and other aspects.The recommendation of this research is to provide a sexual education curriculum and be included in the core curriculum of the school. In addition, it is necessary to create a framework for sexual education in adolescents starting from the family, school, community level and policy makers. For the success of the program so that the material and methods of sexual education are adjusted to the characteristics of adolescents, cultural factors, religion, norms and values in the community.
• 1 in 5 Australians have experienced image-based abuse
• Victims of image-based abuse experience high levels of psychological distress
• Women and men are equally likely to report being a victim
• Perpetrators of image-based abuse are most likely to be male, and known to the victim
• Men and young adults are more likely to voluntarily share a nude or sexual image of themselves
• Women are more likely than men to fear for their safety due to image-based abuse
• Abuse risk is higher for those who share sexual sel es, but they are not the only victims
• 1 in 2 Australians with a disability report being a victim of image-based abuse
• 1 in 2 Indigenous Australians report image-based abuse victimisation
• Image-based abuse victimisation is higher for lesbian, gay and bisexual Australians
• Young people aged 16 to 29 years are also at higher risk of image-based abuse
• 4 in 5 Australians agree it should be a crime to share sexual or nude images without permission
In recent years there has been growing attention to an increasing number of cases where rapes have been recorded and shared via digital devices, including the 2012 Steubenville, Ohio, incident, where the rape of an unconscious 16-year-old girl by two high school football players was recorded on digital devices and shared on social media, and the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro in mid-2016 that was photographed and videoed and then shared on social media, leading to mass protests in the Brazilian nation. These cases point to a troubling trend, where digital technologies are being used not only as a form of control, abuse and harassment but also as a further expression and consolidation of masculine entitlement and privilege. These examples also point to the woeful inadequacy of the term ‘revenge pornography’ for describing the creation or distribution of sexually explicit, nude or intimate images (including sexual assault images) since such images were not created or distributed as a way to seek revenge or to fulfil the purposes of pornography. This chapter focuses on the growing problem of ‘image-based sexual abuse’. This issue represents a significant contemporary challenge due to the ease in which images—videos and photographs—are created, uploaded and downloaded, the difficulties in removing these images once they are online, and the variety of platforms that both popularise and support the trade of intimate non-consensual images.
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