What is OSEC?
With the rise in technology around the globe, it seems like even if you only have the clothes on your back, you still have a cell phone. In April, we published a blog post detailing the rise in pornography website traffic since COVID-19 had begun. Since then, reports have shown a drastic spike in online porn use as lockdowns are still happening around the globe. Along with the use of online pornography, the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) has increased as well, as sex offenders have been using this time during the pandemic to exploit underage victims.
The difference between OSEC and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is in the first letter of the OSEC acronym—OSEC specifically happens online. The UK National Crime Agency notes that the sexual exploitation of children online can include online grooming, live streaming, blackmail, indecent and prohibited images of children, the sharing of these images and more.
Our Dressember Network partner International Justice Mission (IJM) thoroughly reported on the analysis of OSEC and recommendations for its prevention, specifically in the Philippines. They note in their report that while the Philippines is the epicenter of the crime, it is also the world’s leader in stopping the crime. They observe that OSEC is typically family-based and that customers tend to be from Western countries (though many have traveled to or lived in the Philippines at some time). Surprisingly, traffickers tend to be Filipina women with a median age of 27, often relatives of the victims. Overall, IJM indicates that in developing countries, insufficiently resourced justice systems combined with the widespread use of technology and Internet access create a much higher risk of OSEC. IJM also notes, “The most common estimate of offenders is 750,000 individuals worldwide, an estimate produced by the UN and the FBI.”
As with every issue in 2020, it would be irresponsible to approach this discussion without mentioning the impact of COVID-19. Europol, the UK’s National Crime Agency and the Swedish Police Authority are just a few of the agencies that have also reported a significant increase in OSEC since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These numbers are staggering, and they reflect the increase in online trafficking around the world. As noted in the first paragraph, the rise in pornography due to the pandemic has a place in this. According to the aforementioned IJM article, the rise in child abuse has to be noted as well, as the online streaming of child sexual abuse has increased during COVID-related lockdowns.
“The perpetrator, from a distance, can demand imaginable and unimaginable acts that gratify his depraved mind, which could in turn haunt the victim for life.”
How does the trauma of OSEC affect survivors differently from survivors of CSEC? We looked to our Dressember Network partner Love146 for an answer. The mission of Love146 is to “journey alongside children impacted by trafficking today and prevents the trafficking of children tomorrow.” Dr. Gundelina Velazco, Executive Director of Love146 Philippines and Director of Asia Survivor Care, offered insight into how OSEC trauma differs.
She notes that, for victims of online trafficking, “the shame of the victim is greater because the perpetrator, from a distance, can demand imaginable and unimaginable acts that gratify his depraved mind, which could in turn haunt the victim for life.” Too often, the devastating effects of OSEC on victims are belittled—customers feel less guilty about online trafficking than they do about in-person trafficking. However, as Dr. Velazco noted, the impact of a photo or video could haunt the victim for life.
“It’s an ongoing indirect, unobtrusive and self-timed self-processing as the child lives through the new experience of safety and dignity as well as provisions of all their needs, toward the discovery of an alternative life free from exploitation.”
So, what can we do to help these survivors work through their traumatic experience of being trafficked online? Dr. Velazco says that “there first has to be a non-language orientation to a corrective, entirely different world where there is decency, privacy, respect, psychological safety, and emphasis on self-worth.” Her proposal is a more “indirect, unobtrusive and self-timed self-processing” for the child, as direct or rushed efforts could stifle the survivor’s ability to find freedom from trauma and shame.
Dressember works to combat OSEC alongside several of our partners. The funds our advocates raise are crucial in intervening and walking alongside survivors of OSEC. Education and awareness are equally vital in the fight against OSEC and human trafficking, which is why Dressember cares about providing accurate and accessible information through our blog and social media.
We’re so grateful for Dressember Network member organizations like IJM and Love146 as they continue the fight against human trafficking in all its forms. Dressember is committed to resourcing our partners and bringing awareness to rising rates of OSEC through education and advocacy.
About the Author
Erin Diaz Cleveland is a writer and planner from Central Virginia. Her life goal is to use her passions to inspire and encourage others to serve and better themselves and their communities. She loves spending time with her family, instructing yoga and drinking iced espresso in the afternoon.