New institute using data to protect child welfare
An institute based at the University of Edinburgh will create the first global data repository to understand the scale of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Childlight has been launched to enhance the understanding of the global prevalence and nature of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Essential data
The new institute will produce an annual report, global dashboard and index that can be used by government, technology and law enforcement.
It will provide reliable, relevant, and current data to allow more informed and focused decisions to be made to safeguard children.
The report will be created by a multidisciplinary international team of experienced individuals from a variety of backgrounds including academia, the private sector, law enforcement and NGOs.
The team includes Deborah Fry who is Professor of International Child Protection Research at the University of Edinburgh.
Each sector holds a piece of the data puzzle. Bringing together the whole data picture is essential for tackling CSEA. We know that current numbers are likely to be significantly underestimated and hope that our dashboard and index will provide an invaluable tool for governments and organisations all over the world to stop this abuse because every child matters.
Global crisis
Childlight has been founded by the Human Dignity Foundation, a non-profit organisation that focuses on protecting and promoting children’s rights.
The institute has been established in response to an increase of child sexual exploitation and abuse being reported globally.
The US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children which provides the reporting system for electronic service providers such as Google and Meta has seen an increase in suspected material referrals from 59,000 per day in 2020 to 80,000 a day by the end of 2022.
These stark figures underline the urgent need for a coordinated effort to identify, take action and help protect the welfare of children across the world. The ambition and scope of Childlight is immense, and by bringing together University of Edinburgh academic expertise with an international team of specialists, this vital institute will provide a significant contribution in the fight against child exploitation.
This is a global health emergency affecting children all over the world. Sadly, we suspect the true scale of this pandemic is much greater than current numbers suggest and encompasses so many different forms of abuse and exploitation that extend beyond online. This problem isn’t solved by law enforcement alone. To combat CSEA, we must first understand the prevalence and nature of this type of abuse. With the data we can work with partners from all sectors to ensure urgent action is taken to prevent children from further harm, because children can’t wait!
Related links
[image credit: Mihaela Bodlovic]