Using the illuminating power of data to shed light on the ‘hidden pandemic’ of online child sexual exploitation

In the face of unprecedented global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we have witnessed the profound consequences possible when addressing crises with urgency and adopting a public health approach.

I was privileged to see this firsthand in a previous role when I helped provide data for the Office for National Statistics’ weekly coronavirus surveillance reports. The data provided decision makers with crucial knowledge to best inform the policy responses that guided Britain through one of its greatest modern challenges.

However, there is an urgent, if less visible, crisis that requires an equally rigorous preventive response: child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).

The Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, for which I now work as a research fellow, considers this problem a hidden pandemic. But we use the illuminating power of data to shine a light – to ensure that children no longer have to live in the darkness of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Earlier this year we produced the world’s first global estimates of the prevalence of online CSEA, showing that over 300 million children are affected annually (approximately 10 cases per second).

And behind every number there is a child who can suffer enormous damage to their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. CSEA leaves lifelong scars, whether it be non-consensual image sharing, sextortion or AI-generated deepfake. There is evidence that this is linked to poorer mental and physical health (including chronic diseases and premature mortality), risky behaviour, negative educational outcomes and underemployment.

Like a contagious disease, child sexual exploitation and abuse can also have a ripple effect across societies, because the health of our children is fundamentally linked to the overall well-being of our communities.

We also estimate that around 1.8 million men in Britain have committed sexual abuse against children online. That’s enough to fill Wembley Stadium twenty times over and is roughly eighteen times the total capacity of Britain’s prisons. So, as we argued when former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards was convicted of making indecent images of children, this is clearly too big for the criminal justice system to tackle alone, after the damage to victims has already been done.

Like the World Health Organization, UNICEF and many others, Childlight – funded by the Human Dignity Foundation and hosted by the University of Edinburgh – supports a different approach. Addressing this public health emergency with a public health response.

It starts with data, the foundation on which good policy is built. By continuing to collect and analyze data on prevalence, patterns, drivers and what works, we support the development of targeted interventions and policies – with preventive strategies and the allocation of resources where they are needed most.

However, we face another challenge: much of the data needed to provide the best evidence for this crisis and act as a catalyst to drive change at national and global levels is missing in many countries, incomplete or are unreliable. If we want to convince more decision makers to quickly do what needs to be done, this needs to change. That’s why we’re calling for a greater focus from government agencies on commissioning research – and for more data holders to share it with us, whether it’s difficult to access administrative data, population surveys or data collected in other ways to reach.

A public health approach means going beyond the immediate response to a crisis. It requires a long-term commitment to education, prevention, and support systems for survivors. Public awareness campaigns, similar to those for disease prevention, can play a crucial role in changing societal attitudes, reducing stigma and encouraging messaging. Education programs should be implemented at all levels – from schools to community organizations – providing both children and adults with the knowledge and tools to recognize and prevent abuse. Appropriate regulation and legislation, along with social media companies that embrace safety by design – just as we expect the food we eat, the medicines we take and the homes we live in to be made safe.

By working collectively toward a common goal and using the same public health frameworks used to combat infectious diseases, we can create an environment where child protection is prioritized and the cycle of abuse is broken. A world in which every child is safe from exploitation and abuse.

Dr. Inga Vermeulen will speak next Tuesday, October 8, at Digital Justice & Policing in Glasgow.