By: Laura Bennett
We might not like to admit it, but Australia is one of the highest contributors to online childhood sexual exploitation in the world.
Ranking third behind the US and UK, we are a nation contributing to the 302 million children globally who the Into the Light report suggests have experienced online sexual abuse and exploitation.
The report found that “nearly 13% of the world’s children have been victims of non-consensual taking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and videos”.
In addition, “just over 12% of children globally are estimated to have been subject to online solicitation, such as unwanted sexual talk which can include non-consensual sexting, unwanted sexual questions and unwanted sexual act requests by adults or other youths”.
It’s absolutely horrific.
“Nearly 13% of the world’s children have been victims of non-consensual taking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and videos.”
Compassion Australia work with some of the communities most vulnerable to exploitation, and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Baird recently returned from the Philippines where the organisation is working with faith and community leaders to educate children and protect them from predatory Australians.
“I’ve been in some of the toughest slums [and] you can just see how vulnerable they are,” Steve said.
“Without walls on homes, without front doors, with economic uncertainty – they don’t know where their next meal’s coming from.
“When something like a foreigner offering to pay $50 for an atrocious act comes along, and that gets into the wrong hands, [kids] are very vulnerable.”
In one instance, Steve recalls, it was the neighbour of two young siblings who invited them over with the promise of “Coke and bread” who connected them with a Westerner wanting to sexually exploit them.
“It’s not just on the dark web,” Steve said.
“It’s happening though everyday channels and social media platforms where people are able to connect.
“Thankfully [for those siblings] Compassion’s local church partner heard about it, and the boys were rescued and received shelter and trauma-focused support.”
Having spoken with survivors of sexual exploitation, Steve knows “this is crippling for people”.
“The trauma from this kind of exploitations is deep and far reaching,” Steve said.
While more needs to be done on a government and business level to prevent online sexual exploitation and abuse, on an individual level, sponsoring a child through an agency like Compassion is a great first step.
“[Sponsor children] are able to get a leg up,” Steve said.
“It’s like they’ve got the fence before the cliff through being educated, through being cared for by their local church and having their material and physical needs met.
“It really reduces the likelihood of exploitation being in that environment.”
Find out more about Compassion via their website.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Canva
About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.