Attachments
About
The rise of digital technologies has introduced new risks to children, such as Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA). A UNICEF study in 2021 titled “Disrupting Harm” found that one in four Ethiopian children aged 12-17 use the internet, primarily via smartphones. However, two-thirds of these children lack online safety education, and many caregivers do not possess the digital skills necessary to guide them. The research indicated that a number of internet-using children in Ethiopia engage in unsafe online practices, making them vulnerable to OCSEA. For instance, 18% had met someone in person after an online encounter, and 8% had shared explicit images. At least 10% of children experienced severe cases of OCSEA, with many incidents going unreported due to a lack of awareness and feelings of shame. Additionally, the research revealed that stakeholders, including the social service workforce and law enforcement professionals, have limited capacity to address OCSEA. This highlighted the urgent need for increased awareness and improved prevention and response strategies among both government and non-government stakeholders.
The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, UNICEF Ethiopia, and ChildFund Ethiopia collaboratively developed this manual as a resource aimed at raising awareness among child protection actors, criminal justice professionals and policymakers about online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The manual includes information on the opportunities and risks children are exposed to in the digital environment; the forms of online child sexual exploitation and abuse affecting children in the online space; community and family-level prevention strategies and response strategies as well as national level capabilities necessary to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse as outlined in the We Protect Model National Response.
This training course is split into five sessions. It is recommended that the course is delivered over a two-and-a-half-day intensive period. This will allow participants to learn and practice skills in-depth before returning to work to apply these new skills. Participant groups should consist of approximately 15 to 25 people. It is recommended that participants have a smartphone during the training and that training be done, where possible, in a venue with internet connectivity. Support should be offered to accommodate people with disabilities to participate (such as additional trainers to provide individual inclusive support).