Presentation of the international report “Voices of survivors of online sexual abuse”. How the suggestions of victims from Moldova are reflected

We are pleased to announce that an international report prepared by WeProtect Global Alliance and ECPAT International has been published today, dedicated to the voices of survivors of online sexual abuse from six countries of the world, including Moldova.

In total, 42 young women and men aged 18-23 participated in a series of conversations about their own experiences of abuse that they went through in childhood or adolescence. Ten of these voices come from Moldova, and the interviews with these young women were conducted, analyzed and interpreted by the specialists of the International Center La Strada. The fact that we have been chosen as national partners in such a complex analytical exercise, together with leading global networks with authority in the field of protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation, is, without a doubt, a special honor for us.

Moreover, the report published today confirms once again how important continuous cooperation between anti-violence actors worldwide is to improve child protection mechanisms and increase the chances of their rehabilitation and full social integration after the profound trauma experienced at an early age.

The report “Child sexual exploitation and abuse online: Survivors’ Perspectives” is a must read for professionals in the field of child rights protection, representatives of law and justice bodies, colleagues in the social system and not only.

In November, we were talking about the main recommendations made by survivors from our country to responsible authorities in the social field. Today we want to highlight some of the suggestions of the authors of the international study, after processing all interviews, with all young women and men who experienced sexual abuse in childhood and with the 413 social workers who have had interactions with such groups of children over time.

In addition to suggestions of victims of abuse, the study takes into account the comments and recommendations of international experts who participated in the round tables of the project:

• Increasing the visibility of reporting mechanisms;
• Simplifying to the maximum online tools for reporting child sexual abuse and exploitation; ensuring that these services are friendly and allow children to choose the type of service they need and the provider (specialist), where possible;
• Competent authorities shall provide initial and continuing training for staff involved in reporting services, including frontline officers, on issues related to child sexuality, online exploitation and abuse;
• Conducting information and awareness campaigns in schools about online risks related to sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as reporting mechanisms and services available in cases of child sexual abuse;
• Providing quality educational programs for parents, caregivers and the community, encouraging open dialogue with young people and strategies to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by better understanding the risks and forms of online sexual exploitation and abuse, etc.

We invite you to browse the full report here.