Knowledge transfer within communities enables online abuse in the Philippines
Intergenerational cycles of abuse perpetuate online exploitation in the Philippines, the European Parliament moves forward with human rights legislation, and ASEAN-ACT explores the intersection between disability and trafficking in Southeast Asia.
Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) is normalized within vulnerable communities in the Philippines, leading to the perpetuation of the crime from one generation to the next, according to findings from Justice and Care’s latest report. The belief that financial payments from foreign perpetrators help victims; the pervasive fallacy of “no touch, no harm”; induction into OSAEC facilitation by friends, neighbors and family members; and the transfer of criminal knowledge within communities, all contribute to intergenerational cycles of abuse which are further enabled by social media platforms and the ease with which contact can be transferred from public to private spaces.
The report, based on the findings of a two-year study carried out in partnership with Dublin City University, De La Salle University, Manila, and the International Justice Mission, aims to address the knowledge gap around the role and profile of “supply-side” facilitators of OSAEC in the region. It was designed to enhance understanding of methods of offending, shed light on the situational factors, motivations and pathways to offending, and inform practical strategies related to law enforcement investigation and technological and financial facilitation.
Cultural norms, particularly in neighborhoods in which levels of trust in authorities is low, also act as a barrier to reporting, along with challenges inherent in the reporting process itself, creating obstacles to the prevention, disruption and deterrence of OSAEC facilitation in the country. However, efforts to address the issue have involved a strong criminal justice response and convicted offenders – mainly women – receive lengthy sentences, most commonly 15 years but in some cases extending to life imprisonment.
Yet the loss of income resulting from this incarceration could, in some cases, be seen to feed into the systemic vulnerability of communities, the report says, causing some children to assume responsibility for providing for themselves or the family, sometimes through involvement in illegal sex work. Furthermore, these penalties sit in stark contrast with those handed down to demand-side offenders in foreign countries who commission the trafficking of OSAEC in the Philippines, where sentences and fines do not reflect the seriousness of the offence and are not serving to disrupt demand.
The authors make a number of recommendations aimed at breaking these systemic cycles of exploitation, improving the efficacy of OSAEC detection and deterrence, and offering preventative approaches to this type of abuse and exploitation. For instance, re-traumatization and secondary victimization should be reduced, they say, via a suite of child-centered interventions such as “one-stop shop” assessment centers for managing OSAEC reports, rescue operations and aftercare; the strengthening of multi-disciplinary team capacity in each locality; assistance for non-offending family members; and long-term support and care arrangements for survivors.
Secondly, a range of awareness and educational campaigns to respond to the “contagion effect” and cycle of abuse within communities is recommended, to develop greater understanding of the scope and harm of OSAEC to children, dispel offence-supporting beliefs and fallacies, reduce stigma, and encourage reporting. Moreover, steps to address the enabling environment of online platforms should be taken, with product managers and programs leading on projects to combat the use of social platforms for OSAEC facilitation. The use of technology has a specific country-level presentation and characteristics, and efforts to detect, investigate and prevent the crime should be developed accordingly, the report suggests.
Finally, payment pathways between the demand and supply side should be intercepted and disrupted, and a more concerted global response, in which demand-side countries enact swift and targeted action to shut down the market for OSAEC activity, should be enacted.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
The European Parliament achieved significant milestones in human rights legislation last week. Notably, the finalization of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) on Wednesday underscores a critical step forward in protecting workers in global supply chains. This accomplishment was accompanied by the Parliament’s approval of the Forced Labour Regulation (FLR) last Tuesday, collectively representing a robust legislative approach to address forced labour and modern slavery.
Also last Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted the text of the recast of the EU anti-trafficking directive, which marks an advancement with expanded measures and penalties for offenders, including the criminalization of forced marriage and illegal adoption. However, concerns remain that the text does not fully enhance victims’ rights to unconditional support and protection or their access to residence, non-punishment, and compensation.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has launched a new global Action against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in response to the significant challenges posed by these multi-billion-dollar industries, exacerbated by factors such as war, migration, cybercrime, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Action aims to address the evolving nature of these crimes, particularly their links to organized crime and digital technologies, while prioritizing the protection of vulnerable groups and expanding UNODC’s on-the-ground presence.
In response to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill becoming law, 28 anti-trafficking organizations sent an open letter to the UK prime minister and other lawmakers, expressing their “deep sadness and concern”.
Research by ASEAN-ACT, in partnership with Australian University La Trobe, explores disability as a vulnerability factor for human trafficking, along with the barriers that survivors with disabilities face when accessing remedy, justice and support. It is hoped the study, conducted in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, will help policymakers and practitioners target prevention efforts, ensure services meet the needs of victims with disabilities, and improve processes for investigation and prosecution.
The new Special Issue of Anti-Trafficking Review explores the experiences of people who flee, or choose to remain in, highly militarized and violent contexts (HMVC) and the links between HMVC, trafficking, and precarious migration and labour. One central conclusion is that people living and surviving in these contexts do not always conform to the victim profile portrayed by popular narratives and targeted by anti-trafficking initiatives.
CenHTRO seeks an Assistant Research Scientist to carry out quantitative research and analysis on human trafficking research projects conducted in locations around the world.
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