ASEAN must do more to protect children from online abuse

Denpasar – Across Southeast Asia, from Manila to Bangkok and Phnom Penh, police are struggling to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse, especially online. Every day, millions of images and videos of children are shared on the Internet, as authorities become increasingly confused about what to do.

Behind these numbers are real girls and boys whose lives may never be the same. Governments and law enforcement agencies in ASEAN countries can and must do more to stem this tide of abuse. The sexual exploitation of children is increasing at an alarming rate in the region; we need urgent action now.

A meeting in Bali this week offers an opportunity to do just that. On September 25 and 27, representatives from government, law enforcement agencies, the private sector and others will gather for the third annual Asean ICT Forum on Child Online Protection.

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Discussions should focus on new strategies to combat the exponential increase in online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in Southeast Asia, and on the role of law enforcement in particular. Police and other authorities should reaffirm their commitment to work more closely with non-governmental organizations, technology companies and community groups to build a united front against the sexual exploitation of children.

The Bali summit follows some encouraging initiatives in the region. For example, in 2019, ASEAN member states adopted the Declaration on the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse. While we have seen some positive developments since then, much more can be done.

OCSEA is a particular problem in Asia, which has the highest percentage of child Internet users in the world. A major 2022 study, conducted by rights group ECPAT, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Criminal Police Organization with support from SafeOnline, revealed the alarming scale of the problem.

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In the Philippines, 20 percent of children aged 12 to 17 said they had experienced online sexual abuse. In Cambodia this figure was 11 percent, in Thailand 9 percent, in Malaysia 4 percent, in Indonesia 2.2 percent and in Vietnam 0.7 percent.

Perpetrators use the internet not only to share sexually explicit images of children, but also to target them for abuse and exploitation. More than half of all underage victims say they were approached online for the first time, especially via social media or gaming platforms.

Too often, online abuse translates into real life, as perpetrators try to get children to meet in person.

Despite the scale of the problem, law enforcement is struggling to keep up. They lack the tools and resources to tackle criminals in the digital sphere, including special units and robust reporting systems. Officers also rarely receive specialized training in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.

However, countering OCSEA isn’t just about money and resources for policing: it’s about building trust with communities and making sure children feel safe enough to approach authority figures without fear of being judged. A big part of this is about changing mindsets and challenging harmful cultural taboos.

We interviewed child victims and survivors across Southeast Asia who said they were reluctant to approach police or other authorities to report crimes because they feared being blamed. More than a third of child victims and survivors said this fear meant they had not disclosed the crimes to anyone.

As a result, we saw children who are ashamed of what happened to them. A surviving girl said: “When I told (the police) my problem, they blamed me and asked why I would do such a thing and why I behaved like that.”

All OCSEA survivors are victims. They have the right to access support and justice, and should not be re-traumatized or made to feel like criminals. Law enforcement officers and judicial officers must treat all children who approach them with respect and always avoid blaming the victims.

We must also remember that OCSEA can affect any child. No distinction is made between age, gender or socio-economic lines. In fact, our research shows that both boys and girls are equally targeted, with an equal number of victims in rural and urban areas. It also shows that the vast majority of perpetrators of online sexual abuse come from the circle of trusted individuals around children, rather than strangers on the dark web.

ASEAN governments must adapt their strategies to these facts and ensure that their services take into account the rights of all victims. Localized, community-based approaches need to be available to engage children and their families.

We also encourage all ASEAN Member States to establish OCSEA units and train and equip specialist officers with the technology, skills and resources to address the scale of the problem while ensuring children receive justice and receive support, including in rural areas.

This week’s Asean ICT Forum in Bali is a crucial opportunity for the region’s leaders to better protect children online, and it’s an opportunity they should seize. The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network

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Guillaume Landry is Executive Director of ECPAT International.

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The Philippine Daily Inquirer is a member of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 22 media titles in the region.