Position paper regarding online images of sexual abuse and other Internet-related sexual exploitation of Children

The continuing work in combating images of child sexual abuse on the internet is part of Save the Children’s broader strategy in promoting the rights of the child in the context of protection from sexual abuse and exploitation. Save the Children’s work also includes the operation of Internet hotlines, a referral system for the public to report potentially illegal images found on the Internet. This position paper – which does not intend to cover all aspects of the problem – gives an overview of the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation in relation to the Internet and other online technologies, from a children’s rights perspective. It is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Save the Children’s comprehensive programme experience in working on this complex issue. The paper contains recommendations of three main strategies that should be included in the fight against Internet-related sexual abuse of children.