Description

OSEC is an emerging type of exploitation and child sexual abuse that occurs on Information and Communication Technology platforms and has been increasing rapidly in recent years with the Philippines being the epicenter of the supply side. It encompasses both child pornography and commercial sexual exploitation whereby children are being groomed to perform shows for sexual predators online. Nowadays, COVID19 is driving a pandemic of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Philippines. According to DoJ’s Center for Missing and Exploited Children, “279,166 child sexual abuse cases have been reported from March 1 to May 24 this year, compared to 76,561 cases over the same period in 2019.” With COVID19 lockdowns, economic hardship, and scaling social media, a contagion of abuse is accelerating.

This abuse results in complex mental health disturbances among the survivors. It likewise poses challenges to the care providers in supporting them with therapeutic interventions given the complicated dynamics of the abuse. This webinar will focus on the nature and impact of this budding form of trafficking involving children.