Online child harassment

Cybercrime is rapidly penetrating through virtual and physical boundaries despite stringent controls being exercised and maintained. Among other victims of online abuse and harassment, which can be anyone, children remain the most vulnerable target.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) of the US reports that Pakistan has become one of the top three countries in the world that have reported the dissemination and use of sexually abusive material online that leads to child harassment. Some of the common causes that a recent survey conducted by Unicef in South Asian countries reports include guardians’ illiteracy, general and/or digital and their poor management; insufficient URL gatekeeping; cases going unreported to police; geographical displacement; and limited physically and mentally productive activities for children, leading them to spend a major part of their daily time on social media. The perpetrators are well aware of their targets and employ systematic tactics to sexually engage and groom them. Exchange of explicit content, sexual talks, engagement in sexually explicit online games and livestreaming are reported as some of the common tactics.

A local NGO dedicated to child protection in Pakistan reported a total of 2,227 cases of online child harassment in the first half of 2023. Since then, cases have been on peak, but reported better. The helpline for child harassment in Pakistan is now receiving more complaints — and can more, provided awareness is raised. Legal implementation, on the other hand, needs to be improved and a separate body dealing with child protection cases must be put in place. The need to train law enforcement and executive professionals and civil society members on online and physical child safety vigilance is another need of the hour that will play a significant role in curbing the rise of child harassment.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2024.

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