Child sexual abuse reports rise during stay-at-home orders—and traffickers are profiting
Between restrictions on going out, increased time with caregivers, added financial stress, and more time spent online, victims of abuse have never been more vulnerable. For many children, the world has become a lot smaller and more violent.
In March, the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) saw an increase in calls from minors who are being sexually abused. RAINN reports that, of sexually abused children, 93% are abused by someone they know and trust—and 33% of the time they are abused by another minor, such as a sibling or cousin.
Not only are rates of child sexual abuse up, but some people are profiting from it. NPR reported that child sexual abuse livestreams have drastically increased during stay-at-home orders. This coincides with the fact that online sex trafficking and free pornography subscriptions have exploded in recent weeks. Predators may search for images or pay traffickers to produce specific content depicting sexual abuse.
End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT) says they’ve noticed an increase in attempts to access illegal websites. Sexual predators are gathering in online communities to share images and videos.
Access to this content is becoming increasingly easy. Whereas exchanges of explicit images used to happen primarily on the dark web, NPR reported that predators are now using mainstream platforms to find and solicit images from children.
“Children living in isolated, remote areas and in refugee settings are at the highest risk, and as offenders hunt for easy victims, marginalized children are more likely to be targeted.”
The issue of child sex abuse livestreams have become especially rampant in Asia and the Pacific. According to ECPAT, the region stands to lose 49 million jobs in the tourism industry alone. Without income, families are more vulnerable to demands by traffickers to produce explicit images of their children for money. According to NPR, the Philippines is the center of child abuse livestreams in Asia, but these livestreams are happening worldwide. There are even emerging reports of “child delivery services” whereby children are “delivered” to the homes of predators by traffickers to be abused in Brazil and Mexico.
Unsurprisingly, marginalized communities are being hit the hardest by this pandemic. ECPAT states that “[c]hildren living in isolated, remote areas and in refugee settings are at the highest risk, and as offenders hunt for easy victims, marginalized children are more likely to be targeted.” Moreover, these children often have less access to trusted adult support networks or ways to report abuse.
In order to stop this abuse, law enforcement needs to globally collaborate to identify perpetrators. Nongovernmental groups such as RAINN and Thorn can alert the public to the trends on their networks. Let’s not forget the internet companies--they should better police their platforms to prevent the spread of explicit and illegal content.
So what can you do?
If you or someone you know are being sexually abused, report it. Call 800-656-HOPE to report abuse to RAINN. If you need more information before you report, check here for how to maintain personal safety while reporting, here for the effects of sexual abuse, and here the warning signs of abuse from RAINN.
To report through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children call 1-800-843-5678 or send a message online at www.cybertipline.org.
Keep documentation of any suspicious online interactions. It is helpful for law enforcement to know details such as name, email, the online platform on which the interaction occurred, a description of the interaction, and any photos or screencaps. Even if they are embarrassing for you or your child, law enforcement needs to know. Usually, predators have more than one victim, and this information can help the police identify and stop the abuse at the root.
From an individual standpoint, you too can help end this appalling surge in exploitation. Call the parents and children you know. You can also help raise awareness by sharing what you’ve learned on social media.
We as citizens can also lobby the government to provide better for families and children in the next CARES Act. Predators thrive in darkness; let’s shed some light.
About the Author
Emma Beavins is from Franklin, Indiana—a mid-sized town in the heart of central Indiana. Emma is an avid reader, caffeinated-beverage consumer, and a firm believer in the pancakes-are-better-than-waffles debate. Emma enjoys running half marathons and spending quality time with friends, preferably over breakfast. Emma is studying English and Spanish at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana where she hopes to be able to use her verbal and written communication skills to advocate for various social justice issues.