In many parts of the world, November is the month of children. As I write, the clock is ticking towards the celebration of World Children’s Day, on the 20th day of this month. Just two days before, on November 18 [today], Europe marks its day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.
The close calendar proximity of these two days is not coincidental. On the contrary, it suggests that the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse of children is a big blight on the rights of children enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, whose anniversary we commemorate on World Children’s Day. This is a blight that has shocking qualitative and quantitative aspects to it.
Child sexual exploitation and abuse
Qualitatively, children who suffer sexual exploitation or abuse are shattered by it in terms of the severity and duration of its adverse effects on their mental health. The insidious nature of these effects was poignantly illustrated by two tragic cases that hit the global and local headlines in recent months.
The first case is of Virginia Giuffre, a young American woman who took her own life many years after she had been the victim of child sex trafficking and exploitation at the hands of the notorious convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Much closer to home, the second case is recounted in the newly published novel, Eħlisna mid-deni, which is based on the story of man who as a child had been sexually abused by a cleric and whose mental trauma very likely led him decades later to murder his wife, not least the mother of the author, Karl Schembri.
“It is clear that the digital environment is where children are most at risk”
Quantitatively, these cases are but the tip of a very deep, cold and hard iceberg. If we dip our heads under the water, we would be chilled by the frightening reality of a phenomenon that has reached such pandemic proportions that it is estimated that one in every six boys and one in every four girls will be the victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The fact that a lot of this exploitation and abuse happens online does not make it less harmful or less real. It simply means that today’s children are much more exposed to it than were previous generations of children who lived in a pre-digital age.
The vast underworld of this phenomenon is mostly hidden from our sight, largely because child sexual exploitation and abuse is by its very nature covert and obscure, where perpetrators are very good at covering their tracks and victims are all too reluctant to speak up, especially when the exploitation or abuse occurs, as is very often the case, within the child’s circle of trust.
The positive power of knowledge
What is the most effective way to fight a crime that thrives on the stealth of its offenders and the silence of its victims?
On paper, the answer is quite straightforward. We must flash the light of knowledge about this phenomenon to expose and unravel its hidden workings. Knowledge is not an amorphous mass of information but an organised body of facts and figures of how many cases are being reported, where children are most at risk, or how many victims are getting help.
In terms of risk, it is clear that the digital environment is where children are most at risk. The Office of the Commissioner for Children* has just published a study into patterns of use of the internet among children in Malta.
The crucial importance of data in the fight against child sexual exploitation and abuse is recognised in the Lanzarote Convention**, which requires state parties to establish mechanisms for collecting and analysing data to inform preventive measures, allocate resources efficiently and track progress in safeguarding children.
“When policies are based on real information, they save time, money and, above all, lives”
Data helps us identify patterns. If reports show a rise in online grooming, authorities can focus on internet safety in schools. If children in certain areas rarely report abuse, more awareness campaigns and social services can be directed there.
When policies are based on real information, they save time, money and, above all, lives. Without complete data, governments and organisations are working in the dark, which is precisely where child sexual exploitation and abuse festers and grows.
Building a comprehensive body of data is like putting together a complex jigsaw puzzle where the various pieces are held by different stakeholders, such as governments, police, teachers, doctors, NGOs, religious organisations and families.
If we want to be one step ahead of this monstrous phenomenon, we must be able to identify risks and responses quickly by ensuring that each piece of data is shared promptly but also responsibly, exposing the problem not the victims.
While it is vital to respect children’s privacy and dignity at every step by using anonymous and protected information, it is also crucial that data, however precise and complete it may be, is informed by the voices of victims, whose unique perspective can help strengthen laws, improve prevention and ultimately lead to change.
Today, November 18, let us renew our collective effort to harness the power of knowledge of child sexual exploitation and abuse and the knowledge of the power abuses that are at the heart of this phenomenon so that children can truly enjoy and realise their rights.
References
*The Office of the Commissioner for Children works to promote and protect the rights and well-being of all children and young people. Its mission is to ensure that every child’s voice is heard and that their best interests are placed at the heart of all decisions that affect them.
**The Lanzarote Convention is a 2007 Council of Europe treaty that aims to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse.
Lorna Muscat is head of office within the Office of the Commissioner for Children and a member of the bureau of the Lanzarote Committee.
