Children are at high risk of online sexual abuse and exploitation

Parwati, a bright and sociable 15-year-old from Lalitpur, enjoyed connecting with friends and meeting new people through social media. But since last year, Parwati, who the Post identifies by a pseudonym, has not been the same as she was a victim of online grooming and sexual abuse.

“Our vibrant girl is no longer like that,” Parwati’s mother said. “Although she is undergoing therapy, she is still soulless.”

When she was 14, Parwati received a message from someone posing as a popular teenage influencer. He complimented her on her photos and suggested she join an exclusive online group for aspiring models. Flattered by the attention, Parwati began talking to him daily.

He gradually convinced her to share private photos with her, promising to keep them secret and assuring her that she was special.

Parwati slowly became withdrawn, spending long hours on her phone and becoming unusually secretive. Her parents dismissed it as typical teenage mood swings.

“If we hadn’t noticed it earlier, none of this would have happened,” says Parwati’s mother.

Parwati was too scared to tell them and kept everything to herself. She believed she could do it herself.

It was only when an explicit image of Parwati was leaked online in her school group that her parents finally understood the gravity of the situation. By then, the damage had been done: Parwati had been the victim of grooming and blackmail for almost a year.

Parwati’s experience shows how vulnerable online spaces are for children. Children are defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as those under the age of 18.

Parwati’s case is not an isolated one.

A 2023 survey conducted by Voice of Children and KNH Germany among 514 children, families, and child protection and juvenile justice stakeholders in Koshi and Bagmati provinces revealed disturbing forms of OCSA (online child sexual abuse).

Of the girls who participated in the study, 38.6 percent reported receiving sexual calls and messages, 34.1 percent received inappropriate photos, 13.7 percent saw offensive links, videos or images, 6.8 percent were unaware of such incidents and 6.8 percent experienced other forms of online harassment and exploitation.

Of the boys, 32.3 percent reported receiving sexual phone calls and messages, 29.2 percent received offensive photos, 15.4 percent received inappropriate links, 16.9 percent were unaware of this and 6.2 percent experienced other forms of abuse and exploitation online.

The increasing number of cases of various forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation online is further supported by data from the Cyber ​​Bureau.

In just under two months of the 2024-2025 budget year, the agency recorded 68 cases of cybercrime involving children, including online sexual abuse.

In the 2023-2024 budget year, the agency recorded 635 cases of cyber violence involving children, up from 176 cases in the 2022-2023 budget year. This is an increase of 260.8 percent.

According to experts, while Nepal has made efforts to tackle online child sexual abuse, existing laws and frameworks are not enforced due to limited resources, lack of awareness and inadequate training.

Furthermore, parents, caregivers and children are often unaware of the risks of online abuse, making the current legal framework insufficient to fully address this problem.

The recent increase in cybercrime involving children can be traced back to the COVID lockdown, when digital platforms became essential for children’s daily education.

However, according to Roshani Poudyal, an assistant professor of law at Tribhuvan University and a researcher in the field of digital safety, the real problem is the lack of proper monitoring of children’s online activities, which exposes them to all kinds of dangers.

“Parents and teachers have not done enough to address online risks,” Poudyal said.

Cyber ​​violence against children is not something that only occurs in Nepal. It is a global problem.

At the 28th session of the Human Rights Council in 2015, a report highlighted how new technologies, while offering opportunities, also increase children’s vulnerability to online sexual exploitation.

Contrary to popular belief, it appears that only girls suffer from OCSA, but boys are also vulnerable, says Poudyal.

A 2019 study conducted in the Philippines found that all children, regardless of gender, are at risk online; “boys seeking support for their sexual identity or accessing pornography are particularly vulnerable,” the report said.

The huge gap in reporting online abuse is a problem, research by Voice of Children shows. Parents are reluctant to report such cases because of social stigma, and children often do not realize they are being abused.

“For example, if someone says on their photo, ‘You are so beautiful’ or ‘You are so sexy,’ children may take that as a compliment without realizing that it is inappropriate, especially if a predator is involved,” Poudyal says.

Even when they recognize the abuse, children are reluctant to tell their parents. This fear of guilt or rejection usually keeps children quiet.

The fact that OCSA cases are often dismissed and not reported only exacerbates the problem. In such cases, the impact of OCSA on children is more likely to go unaddressed, as happened to Parwati, who was continuously abused for a year.

Parwati still struggles with PTSD and depression, which shows how the psychological toll of OCSA can be just as severe as offline abuse. Victims often experience self-blame, depression, nightmares, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety.

Raju Ghimire, Deputy Director of Voice of the Children, points out that while Nepal has several relevant policies in place, they are fragmented and do not have a specific focus on OCSA prevention.

The Electronic Transaction Act, 2008 prohibits the distribution of illegal content online, but it is not sufficient to tackle online child sexual abuse. This includes time limits for filing complaints (35 days), privacy concerns, due process issues and inadequate child protection measures.

Even the Child Act 2018 does not define key terms such as child pornography, child luring, sextortion and cyberstalking, leading to a lack of understanding among stakeholders.

“The law also says nothing about how to handle cases where the abusers are parents or guardians, and there are no provisions for alternative shelters for child victims when family members are the perpetrators,” Ghimire said.

Not only is there a lack of special protection for vulnerable groups, such as children with disabilities or children from the LGBTQIA+ community, the existing law regarding children also does not provide a solution for cross-border online child sexual abuse. This should be addressed in the Children’s Act or the Telecommunications Act of 1997.

Ghimire says there should be a comprehensive umbrella law with specific provisions that address OCSA. “This law should define and include various issues related to OCSA,” he says. “There should be a consultative process to amend the Relating to Children Act, 2018 to better cover OCSA.”

Ghimire also recommends involving a child psychologist in the complaint registration and hearing process to ensure appropriate support.

“The digital world is complex,” says Poudyal. “It is vital that parents, children and everyone are made aware of online sexual abuse and cyberbullying.”

She added that prevention should take precedence over legal protection after the abuse. She called for a specific legal framework to improve reporting, response and investigation mechanisms. “We need better monitoring and regulation of ISPs, clear definitions of different forms of online child abuse and improved digital literacy for children, parents, teachers and the general public,” she said.

“Many people do not know what online sexual abuse entails or how to deal with it legally. Awareness programs in schools and at home are a must. After all, these are the places where children spend most of their time.”