Weak laws and fragmented industry action is exposing children
around the world to increasingly serious violence through the
Internet and other cyber technologies, according to a
new ECPAT International report on Violence Against
Children in Cyberspace.
The report, launched on 11
November 2005, was written by ECPAT International with leading
experts around the world as a contribution to the UN Study on
Violence Against Children.
Forms of cyber violence
against children outlined in the report include: child pornography
and ‘live’ online sexual abuse for paying customers, online sexual
solicitation, cyber stalking and bullying, and access to illegal and
harmful materials. Child exploiters also use cyberspace to
network for child sex tourism and trafficking.
The report
calls for stronger legislation and law enforcement, a global
industry body to set and monitor child protection
standards, and comprehensive education campaigns against the
demand for children for sexual purposes.
“This report
gives the global community no excuse for saying that ‘we didn’t
know’ or ‘we couldn’t foresee’ the exponentially increasing violence
caused to children in relation to new information and communication
technologies.” Prof. Paulo Pinheiro, Independent
Expert, UN Secretary-General's Study on Violence Against
Children
• Press release: ECPAT Cyberspace report
launch [11 November 2005] • Communiqué sur le Rapport Cyberespace [11
November 2005] • Comunicado de prensa: ECPAT
lanzamiento del informe Ciberespacio [11 Noviembre
2005]
See also:
• ECPAT Roundtable Meeting of Experts on Violence
against Children in Cyberspace [12-13 June 2005, Bangkok,
Thailand]
• make-IT-safe
• The UN Study
on Violence Against Children |