Approximately 785,000 reports of potential online child abuse were made globally in 2023, according to Cyprus’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Despina Michaelidou.
She added that the victims depicted in such material are 83% aged 3-13.
The figures were released in Michaelidou’s message marking 18 November, the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which was established by the Council of Europe in 2015 to raise public awareness and combat silence surrounding child sexual abuse.
For 2024, the Council of Europe has prioritised the theme “Emerging Technologies: Threats and Opportunities for Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse”. The commissioner warned that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are increasingly being used to commit sexual offences against children in social media and online gaming environments.
According to the statistics, 16% of victims were aged 14-17, showing an increase from 11% in 2022. Girls accounted for 95% of all victims.
Michaelidou noted that current European legislation does not fully address these issues, and public awareness of risks associated with modern technology remains insufficient.
“These numbers should not just concern us but activate all of us to take action for the proper use of emerging technologies and find innovative ways to utilise them”, Michaelidou said, calling for collective action to ensure children’s safe navigation of the digital world.
