Insight into the AIC Study
Recent findings from the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) have cast a spotlight on a troubling aspect of digital life in Australia. The study, titled ‘Prevalence of viewing online child sexual abuse material among Australian adults’, surveyed an extensive group of over 13,000 Australians. Alarmingly, it was revealed that 0.8 percent of these individuals had deliberately accessed online child sexual abuse material in the preceding year.
IJM Australia’s Perspective
Reacting to these startling revelations, International Justice Mission (IJM) Australia has highlighted the importance of this data in comprehending the extent of demand for such disturbing content in Australia, advocating for stronger measures in the technology sector. Grace Wong from IJM Australia stressed the urgency of collaborative efforts. She stated, “Continued effort from the Australian Government, international law enforcement agencies and tech companies is essential to preventing the sexual exploitation of children online.”
Moreover, Wong emphasized, “The most effective measure to protect children from harm is to prevent child sexual abuse material from being created and distributed online, including through video livestreams.Tech companies have a pivotal role to play in proactively stopping content at the source, and detecting and reporting child sexual abuse materials that are created and shared on their platforms.”
Startling Global Statistics
Further emphasizing the global impact, IJM’s ‘Scale of Harm’ report brought to light a distressing statistic: nearly half a million children in the Philippines, approximately 1 in 100, were trafficked in 2022 to produce new online child sexual exploitation material, predominantly for profit. Australians represented a significant portion of the online predators exploiting these children.
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Global Efforts and Governmental Response
In response, IJM is working in tandem with international law enforcement to shield vulnerable Filipino children from online sexual abuse and exploitation. The US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, too, reported a significant 47 percent surge in child sexual abuse material cases since 2020. In a proactive response, Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has announced initiatives to reinforce the Basic Online Safety Expectations and expedite the review of the Online Safety Act.
Technology Firms’ Responsibility
The recent activation of the eSafety Commissioner’s social media services code highlights the growing expectation for technology companies to actively engage in addressing this issue on their platforms. As Wong rightly points out, “Now it’s up to tech companies to take ownership of this problem on their platforms.”
Further Information and Resources
For a deeper understanding and details on IJM Australia’s efforts against this critical issue, visit their website at www.ijm.org.au.
Media Contacts
For media inquiries, reach out to Briony Camp at 0468 308 696 or via email at bcamp@ijm.org.au.
Accessing the Reports
- The AIC report ‘Prevalence of viewing online child sexual abuse materials among Australian Adults’ is available here.
- IJM 2023 Scale of Harm report can be found here.
- IJM 2020 OSEC in the Philippines report is available for review here.
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