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Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse An Emerging Concern in India %28Policy Brief April 2023%29 |
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POLICY BRIEF
2023 | APRIL
ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
– AN EMERGING CONCERN IN INDIA
Understanding Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA)
The World Health Organisation defines child sexual
abuse as “the involvement of a child in sexual activity
that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable
to give informed consent to; or for which the child is
not developmentally prepared and cannot give
consent…resulting in actual or potential harm to the
child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the
context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or
power” (WHO, 1999).
In recent years, with the increased use of the
internet and social media, children and adolescents
are exposed to the risk of online sexual abuse.
Online sexual abuse and exploitation take various
forms, including, Grooming, Blackmailing, Luring,
Persistence, and Sexting, among others.
Grooming is establishing/building a relationship with a child in person or using the internet or
other digital technologies to facilitate online or offline sexual contact with that person. A
relationship is developed by using specific strategies such as complimenting over and over,
providing lots of attention and affection, kindness, gifts, and money. Some grooming methods
include love bombing (showering love) or gaslighting (using fear/ shame).
Blackmailing is similar to the common sense understanding of the term to get something by
threatening to hurt the victim, such as publishing sexual photos/videos of them unless the victim
does what they want (also called sextortion).
Luring is when a person uses online communication to contact someone they think is under 18 to
make it easier for them to commit a sexual offence against that person.
Persistence is to keep asking for something, even when refused.
Pity/guilt includes making the victim feel sorry for them or guilty about something,often manipulating
the victim into doing what the predator wants.
Sharing sexually explicit material includes sending unwanted sexually explicit material (pornography,
nude photos of themselves, etc.) and trying to convince the victim that this type of unsolicited sexual
behaviour is acceptable.
Sexting, even if seemingly consensual, may lead to non-voluntarily sexting in response to pressure
and lack of consent for forwarding images.
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While there are various forms of sexual exploitation
and abuse, there is limited consensus on what
constitutes Online Child Sexual Exploitation and
Abuse (OCSEA). Childnet International defines
online sexual harassment as “unwanted sexual
conduct on any digital platform. It includes various
behaviours that use technology to share digital
content such as images, videos, posts, messages,
pages, etc.” UNICEF considers a situation "when a
second party benefits monetarily, through a sexual
activity involving a child" as online sexual
exploitation too. The Council of Europe Convention
includes situations where a child or another person
is given or promised money or other forms of
remuneration, payment, or consideration in return
for the child engaging in sexual activity, even if the
payment/remuneration is not madeⁱ. The
International Labour Organisation (ILO) has
developed a glossary of definitions of online child
sexual abuse. The lack of consistent, standardised
terminology outlining the various forms of OCSEA
makes it challenging to identify, build awareness,
and address the issue. There are also emerging
concerns about data privacy leaks and threats,
which could impact and influence OCSEA.
Hence, there is an urgent need to standardise
definitions and terminologies. There is also a need
to include the emerging tactics of abuse and
exploitation online, along with aspects of data
privacy and theft, when defining online sexual
exploitation and abuse.
OCSEA- Emerging Concerns in India
India is emerging as one of the largest internet
users in the world. India is ranked second for
accessing social networks after Chinaⁱⁱ .Around 65%
of internet users are between 12 and 29 years of
age, and about 31% are aged 12–19 (IAMAI and
Nielsen, 2019)ⁱⁱⁱ. With the adoption of internet-based
education, owing to COVID-19 and consequent
lockdowns, the age of children using
the internet and social media is rapidly reducing.
While Facebook and Instagram have mandated a
minimum age of 13 years to access their platforms, a
study by the National Commission for Protection of
Child Rights (NCPCR), in 2021, across six states found
that 38% of 10-year olds had Facebook accounts,
while over 24% had Instagram accounts.
While internet use has several advantages, including
access to education and platforms for expression,
motivation, development of identity, and forums of
acceptanceⁱᵛ, it poses threats, as young person’s
often overshare what would be considered private
information publicly, both intentionally and
unintentionally. Young persons also meet unknown
people online, engage in conversation and online
gaming, and even create fake profiles (McAfee, 2014).
A follow-up study by McAfee in 2022ᵛⁱ found that
Indian children have the highest exposure to online
risks and are among the youngest to reach mobile
maturity.
A compilation of reports on child sexual abuse
material found online puts India on top of the global
list, with 11.7% of the total reports or 19.87 lakh
reports of such material uploaded from the
countryᵛⁱⁱ. India reported over 24 lakh instances of
online child sexual abuse during 2017-20, with 80%
of the victims being girls below the age of 14 years,
according to Interpol data. A study by CRY (2020)ᵛⁱⁱⁱ
among school students in Delhi found that one in
every three adolescents exposed to the internet is a
victim of cyberbullying and other forms of online
abuse.
The increasing use of ed-tech has also posed data
privacy concerns, as several apps gather personal
data of children and adolescents, which could be
misused, leading to online abuse (sexual and
otherwise)ⁱˣ.
"1 in every 3 adolescents exposed to the internet is a
victim of cyberbullying and other forms of online
abuse."
2 Population Foundation of India
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Population Foundation of India conducted a study on adolescents’ digital interactions and Online Child
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) in four states in India in 2022. The objectives of the study were
to:
(1) Understand the type and amount of social media activity among adolescents.
(2) Understand parents' and teachers' perceptions of adolescent digital engagement, and
(3) Understand and analyse adolescents’ awareness and experiences of OCSEA.
A cross-sectional mixed-method study was done in Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The
study included an extensive literature review and a quantitative survey involving 822 adolescents, 219
parents, and 45 teachers across rural, urban, and peri-urban regions. The adolescents for the
quantitative survey were chosen across rural, urban, and peri-urban regions, with a sample size
powered at 80% and a confidence interval of 95% at each region level. The survey utilized a stratified
multi-stage random sampling strategy, selecting 2 districts in each state and 2-3 blocks within each
district, and households with adolescents aged 13-19 were surveyed. Additionally, 40 in-depth
interviews were conducted with various stakeholders, including adolescents, parents, teachers, civil
society organizations, and technology/social media companies.
The study by the Population Foundation of India (2022) showed that:
15% adolescents surveyed had faced at least one incident related to online sexual exploitation or abuse. A
higher proportion of urban boys reported this.
The most common incident was ‘coming across sexually explicit content when surfing the internet’.
1% of adolescents also reported instances of persons talking to them about sex even when they did not
want to and being threatened or embarrassed by someone posting or sending messages about them to
other persons. A greater proportion of adolescent girls reported this.
“My friend and I had gone to a cybercafé to create an email id for my friends. The person
at the cybercafé copied my friend’s phone number and then called her and shared
inappropriate/dirty messages and sexually explicit content on her WhatsApp”
– Adolescent Girl, Bihar
“I use phone to watch education related video but within an hour, I start to feel like
watching some song videos or serials. During that time, some inappropriate videos also
come up, so I watch it. Sometimes, it has also happened on Facebook”
– Adolescent Girl, Bihar
“My female friend was blackmailed by someone she met on the internet, who forced her to
send him inappropriate photos of herself. Fearing he might tell her family that she was talking
to a stranger online, my friend sent him the photos he wanted. The person then shared these
photos on the internet. My friend and her brother later filed a police complaint, and the police
caught the culprit” – Adolescent Boy, Delhi
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Among those who had encountered at least one
OCSEA-related incident, 55% had done so on
Facebook, followed by 42% on YouTube, 34% on
WhatsApp, 14% on Instagram and between 1% and 5
% on other social media sites (Tinder, Twitter,
Snapchat, etc). Only 1% adolescents reported to have
faced it on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms.
Parents were often unaware or did not wish to
acknowledge that their wards faced OCSEA. However,
analysis suggests that increased parental supervision
was associated with lower reporting of OCSEA among
adolescents.
When faced with an incident of OCSEA, most
adolescents deleted or blocked the person/ source or
changed their privacy settings. 17% respondents who
had faced an incident did not do anything.
Adolescents were often unaware of redressal
mechanisms. Of those aware, police cyber cell and
child line were reported as the forums for redressal.
However, adolescents feared reporting or telling their
parents of any incidents of OCSEA, more so girls,
fearing significant punitive action, including
discontinuation of education and early marriage.
Adolescent girls are at a particular disadvantage- they have limited digital and internet access and are also
subject to more monitoring and rules as compared to boys. However, in any instance of OCSEA, or abuse-
like incidents, they are often suspected/ blamed and face more punitive action than boys. In other words,
even though girls have significantly restricted digital access if any instance of abuse occurs, they are usually
the ones who are blamed.
Policy and program actions– the need for comprehensive redressal for OCSEA
The policy and legal framework for cybersecurity in
India are evolving. India was an early ratifier of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of
1990. In 2002 it acceded to the Second Optional
Protocol, which further strengthened the CRC’s
provisions for online and offline offences against
children.
However, India does not have enough specific laws
and regulations explicitly meant to address all forms
of online sexual abuse. The availability of
enforcement officials with the specialised expertise to
handle the issues comprehensively is also limited.
Currently, online sexual abuse is processed under the
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO)
Act, 2012. Different sections of the act cover parts of
online abuse. There are also other laws on child
sexual abuse under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The
Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 (amended
2008) explicitly addresses cyberbullying. Section
67B(c) of the IT Act, 2008 also punishes the
enticement of children online for publishing or
transmitting materials depicting children in a sexually
explicit act in electronic form. The Personal Data
Protection Bill (PDP) 2019 deals with children’s data
privacy, issues around children’s use of online
services, including educational apps, the role of
service providers, and restrictions on profiling
children. Thus, multiple laws and acts deal with
various aspects of OCSEA. However, there is no
comprehensive law/ regulation or policies addressing
OCSEA.
Redressal mechanisms for OCSEA also need
strengthening. All cities in India have dedicated
cybercrime cells. The Government has also set up two
chief mechanisms for self-reporting online child
sexual abuse: the POCSO e-Box, a virtual complaint
management system, and the National Cybercrime
Reporting Portal (NCRP). However, the study by the
Population Foundation of India reveals that
awareness of these helplines is limited. Complaints, if
any, are reported to ChildLine (1098) or the police
stations. Respondents also reported the need for
greater sensitivity at police stations to enable ease in
reporting.
Support systems and rehabilitative interventions for
victims of OCSEA are limited. Some civil society
initiatives address online sexual abuse through
prevention and rehabilitation centers/ helplines,
information provision campaigns and portals, and
awareness on more significant issues of sexual
reproductive health and rights (SRHR). However, the
reach of these efforts is often limited geographically
and among specific population groups targeted by
their interventions.
The country needs a comprehensive safe internet
ecosystem that safeguards children from risks of
online abuse and enables rehabilitative support. It is
also necessary to work with multiple stakeholder
groups, including children, parents, teachers, schools,
civil society, governments, and the private sector, to
enable a holistic response on the internet safety and
OCSEA.
4 Population Foundation of India
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Recommendations and Action Points
GOVERNMENT- NATIONAL
POLICY AND SYSTEM STRENGTHENING:
Short-Term:
Comprehensive definition for OCSEA – common across laws, policies, & programs.
Strengthening current systems for management of OCSEA – for greater public awareness & access.
Engagement with private sector to strengthen identification & reporting incidents of OCSEA.
Ensure implementation of redressal mechanisms outlined in the IT Act & rules 2021.
Long-Term:
Defining clear processes/ systems (SOPs) to manage & address OCSEA – identification, reporting,
perpetrator punishment, & intervention packages for support of victims.
Robust information systems – gathering/ collating information on the extent & nature of OCSEA to
inform policy & program action.
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND DIGITAL LITERACY:
Short-Term:
Inclusion of internet safety and OCSEA in school curriculum & existing programs on SRHR.
Integration of comprehensive sexuality education in the school curriculum/ programs to empower
children and adolescents with information on sexual health & safety – both online & offline.
Long-Term:
Development of an age-appropriate & gender-sensitive digital safety & literacy curriculum to be
included in the school curriculum across subjects.
Platforms & resource libraries – online & offline where children, adolescents, & adults could seek
information & guidance on digital safety & redressal of abuse.
GOVERNMENT- STATES
Short-Medium Term:
Establishment of a cell within the ChildLine on OCSEA .
Sessions on internet safety & OCSEA in schools – through videos or CSO engagement.
Public awareness campaigns on OCSEA, its identification, reporting, & available systems for
redressal.
Long-Term:
Training of police personnel – working in cybercrime cell, women’s cell, & child protection issues–
on OCSEA, its identification, & management. The training to enable attitudinal shifts & guidance on
sensitive management of adolescents, especially girls who file complaints.
Capacity building of schoolteachers on OCSEA & digital safety. The sessions should address the
needs & disadvantages of adolescent girls.
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS
Organisations working on SRHR & with adolescents to build/ enhance capacity to work on issues of
digital safety and OCSEA.
Development of IEC materials – modules, video content, & posters on OCSEA, to be used in
schools & for mass awareness campaigns.
Engagement with media personnel/ houses to enable appropriate & sensitive reporting on OCSEA.
Pilot initiatives/ campaigns to engage with parents & the larger community on OCSEA (which could
be replicated later at scale)
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References
[i] United Nations Children’s Fund (2021) Ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse: Lessons learned and
promising practices in low- and middle-income countries, UNICEF, New York
[ii] https://www.statista.com/statistics/278341/number-of-social-network-users-in-selected-countries/
[iii] IAMAI, Nielsen Digital in India Report 2019—Round 2
[iv] Paul Best, Roger Manktelow, Brian Taylor, Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A
systematic narrative review, Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 41, 2014, Pages 27-36,
[v] Global Kids Online (2019). Global Kids Online: Comparative Report, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti
[vi] McAfee Corp, May 2022, Life Behind the Screens of Parents, Tweens, and Teens—India
[vii] Ramya Kannan, Most Online Content on Child Sexual Abuse from India, The Hindu, April 18th 2020
[viii] Child Rights and You (CRY), 2020, “Online Safety and Internet Addiction (A Study Conducted Amongst Adolescents
in Delhi-NCR)”, February 2020; New Delhi
[ix] Human Rights Watch,25th May, 2022, “How Dare They Peep into My Private Life” Child’s Rights Violations by
Governmental Organisations that Endorsed Online Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic
https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/05/25/how-dare-they-peep-my-private-life/childrens-rights-violations-governments
Population Foundation of India is a national non-
government organisation (NGO), founded in 1970
by JRD Tata, that promotes and advocates for the
effective formulation and implementation of
gender-sensitive population, health and
development strategies and policies. Working with
government and NGOs, it addresses population
issues within the large discourse of empowering
women and men.
Head Office:
B-28, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi- 110016
T: +91 11 43894100 | F: +91 1143894199
Regional Offices:
Bihar: 123A, 1st Floor, Patlipura Colony, Patna- 800013
T: +91 612 227 0634
Rajasthan: C-9, Shiv Marg, Shyam Nagar, Jaipur- 302019
T: +91 141 410 477
Uttar Pradesh: C-3, Nirala Nagar, Opposite Thandi Park,
Lucknow- 226020 T: +91 522 400 5091
www.populationfoundation.in
@PopFoundIndia
@PopFoundIndia
@populationfoundationindia
The End Violence Partnership is a platform for
collective, evidence-based advocacy and action
launched in July 2016 by the UN Secretary-General with
a focus on fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal
16.2: ending all forms of violence against children by
2030.
6 Population Foundation of India