LGBTQIA+ children, girls more vulnerable to sexual abuse

MANILA — Sixty-five percent of children who experienced online sexual abuse identify as belonging to the LGBTQIA+, according to WeProtect Global Alliance. This is 19 percent higher than those who identify as cisgender heterosexual. 

The Philippines is known as the global epicenter for the production of financially-motivated child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM), according to the International Justice Mission. In 2022 alone, one in 100 Filipino children was found to be trafficked to produce CSAEM.

The children who took part in the study of Terre des Hommes Netherlands identified several barriers on why they do not avail the child protection services: Around 78 percent have fear of shame or blame, 65 percent have fear of being outed, 60 percent have distrust in adults or responders, and 52 percent pointed to the lack of gender-sensitive services.

Only one in three children access child protection services against online sexual abuse, especially LGBTQIA+ youth and women, due to fear of being blamed, judged, or outed.

The cases of online sexual abuse or exploitation of children (OSAEC) against LGBTQIA+ children are also not reported. The reporting systems remain binary — data segregated through male and female options — which further affect the access of LGBTQIA+ children to preventive and protective services.

“There is a lack of trauma-informed, gender-sensitive, and age-appropriate child protection services,” the study noted. “The weak social protection and child protection systems resonate with the experience of OSAEC survivors on the lack of interventions for the victims and the family. Community services cater to all children and young people and there are no specific modifications to make them accessible to girls and LGBTQI children.”

The study showed that children from poor families may resort to OSAEC to earn money. Some parents may knowingly overlook the issue as OSAEC becomes a livelihood for the family. 

“My mother died and I was being looked after by my auntie and her family is poor. I am not the priority in terms of food, so I support myself,” a 16-year-old OSAEC survivor said in the study.

“It appears that poverty— may it be the lack of resources for the family or poverty caused by social issues including drug addiction among parents— is the main driver of OSAEC,” the study said.

The study also reported a disconnect between knowledge and capacity. It found that the knowledge about OSAEC is relatively low particularly at the barangay level. 

The Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) is found to be non-functional as the officers are co-terminus with the elected officials. The study stressed that the structure is problematic as it takes time for the local government units (LGUs) to organize their council and the people are not trained about their mandate.

Only 16 percent of the children are aware about preventative and protective interventions. While 84 percent of the respondents expressed confidence in the services, there is no data about how many of those needing help actually sought it.

“The participation of children and young people in decision-making is more consultative rather than collaborative,” the study noted, saying that very little is done to raise the awareness of the community, children, and young people about OSAEC. 

“We recognize the urgent and growing threat of OSAEC and other online risks. While Republic Act No. 11930 strengthens national mechanisms, law alone is not enough to protect children,” said Anna Belinde, Philippine country director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands, in a statement based on the organization’s recent study.

Republic Act No. 11930 or Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Act provides mandatory services for the victims ranging from emergency shelter, counseling, legal services, medical or psychological services, livelihood and skills training, and educational assistance.

“Protection requires shifting power to those closest to the risks, children, families, and communities, while ensuring institutions and industry are accountable for how digital spaces are designed and governed,” Belinde said.

Barbara Mae Pagdilao-Flores, executive director of the National Coordination Center Against OSAEC and CSAEM, said that the safety of children online is not only a responsibility of one office, one agency, or one sector alone. “Government must lead, but we must also bring the whole system together—law enforcement, prosecutors, child protection actors, digital platforms, telcos, financial institutions, civil society, and communities—so that our response is coordinated, practical, and felt by children on the ground,” she said.

Flores said that the online risks become more complex with the proliferation of artificial intelligence, deepfakes, grooming, and the misuse of children’s images. 

UNICEF reported that at least 1.2 million children across 11 countries were victimized by OSAEC and CSAEM, having their images manipulated into sexually-explicit deepfakes through artificial intelligence. 

The United States-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NMEC) reported a 1,550 percent increase in the use of generative artificial intelligence to create sexual exploitation content, reported through their platform CyberTipline. (DAA, RVO)

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