Thinking About Safety and Support SystemsAnd that makes me think about how it may be helpful for you to work on a Safety Plan for yourself. Planning ahead for unexpected situations or things that make you feel unsafe can be helpful in minimizing risk. Safety planning – which may include keeping a schedule, having a support person to call, or finding new ways to connect with friends and peers – can be especially helpful now when so many of our regular support networks have changed or fallen away.

Dear Questioning Adult,

Before these children realise it, they are trapped in a world they could never imagine. „Finding these perpetrators on the normal web is hard, but it’s even harder on the dark web. They use the latest technology to keep evading authorities. With the likes of IA, it is becoming a double-aged sword.” For some people, looking at CSAM can start to feel out of their control, with some describing it as an “addiction”. These people often share that their viewing habits have deeply affected their personal, work or family life, and they may have trouble changing their habits despite wanting to and taking steps to do so. Several organizations and treaties have set non-binding guidelines (model legislation) for countries to follow.

If you or someone you know is concerned about their internet activity, seek the help of professionals who specialize in this area. Unlike physical abuse which leaves visible scars, the digital nature of child sexual abuse material means victims are constantly re-traumatised every time their content is seen. Once inside, they can find vast criminals networks, including those peddling child sexual abuse material on a massive scale, Mistri adds. Up to 3,096 internet domains with child sexual abuse materials were blocked in 2024 amid Globe’s #MakeItSafePH campaign. Young people, including children and teenagers, may look for pictures or videos of their peers doing sexual things because they are curious, or want to know more about sex.

Justice

In SaferNet’s view, anyone who consumes images of child sexual violence is also an accomplice to child sexual abuse and exploitation. However, web crimes against children have become more sophisticated over time, Safernet explained during an event in São Paulo. The NGO said that last year Brazil totaled 111,929 child porn reports of storage, dissemination, and production of images of child sexual abuse and exploitation forwarded to Safernet, a significant increase from 2021’s 101,833 cases.

• MANILA, Philippines — More than 3,000 websites containing online abuse of children have been blocked by telecommunications giant Globe Telecom Inc.
• The fact that this trend is revealed in multiple sources tends to undermine arguments that it is because of reduced reporting or changes in investigatory or statistical procedures.
• Governors in more than a dozen states have signed laws this year cracking down on digitally created or altered child sexual abuse imagery, according to a review by The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
• Aaron was 17 when he started making videos on the site with his girlfriend in Nevada, US.
• The Internet Watch Foundation has joined with a consortium of partners to develop the Artemis Survivor Hub (ASH) – a revolutionary, victim-focused response to online child sexual exploitation.

It was shut down last year after a UK investigation into a child sex offender uncovered its existence. Despite the lack of physical contact, it is still considered abusive behavior for an adult to be engaging with a minor in this way. Adults may offer a young person affection and attention through their ‘friendship,’ but also buy them gifts both virtually and in real life.