MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Amidst the global celebration of World Day Against Trafficking 2021, International Justice Mission (IJM) launches a series of research projects and campaigns to strengthen and scale its global solutions to protect children from online sexual exploitation.

“These celebrations, amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, are testament to the unstoppable momentum in the global fight against the crime,” said Atty. Samson Inocencio, Regional Vice President of IJM’s Global Programs Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children.

In concerted timing, IJM continues to partner with the Philippine government and global stakeholders (both private and government), to scale its solution to end global impunity for online sexual exploitation of children. A lineup of events this week aims to strengthen the criminal justice systems’ response, with emphasis on prevalence, data, and aftercare.

Scale of Harm Project

How many children are being trafficked to create child sexual exploitation materials (CSEM) during a specified period in the Philippines or its sublocations?
This is the question that IJM’s Center to End Online Sexual Exploitation of Children seeks to answer by developing a research methodology through a project dubbed Scale of Harm. Having an accurate estimate of this crime’s prevalence is key to designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions and their impact. It would be difficult to demonstrate that a program has curbed or eliminated online child sexual exploitation without baseline data.

Partnership with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT)

IJM Philippines commissioned the conduct of literature reviews and research to address the issues and gaps in the Philippine case management system and reintegration of survivors of online sexual exploitation. These three research papers will be launched via an online event for those in the caring and helping industry. In its activity, “Caring About Caring: A Conversation for Aftercare Providers for Child Survivors of Online Sexual Exploitation,” on July 29, 2021, IJM and IACAT will usher select provincial governors, city mayors, social workers, and related agencies, to a time of debriefing and discussion of the key findings and recommendations of the papers. Working groups to lead actions are hoped to be formed from that event.

Additionally, IJM Philippines leads a two-part webinar series, “Strengthening the Commitment Against Online Exploitation of Children” discusses an overview of the Philippine model in combating the crime, the trauma-informed approach in handling its survivors, the legal landscape of the crime in the country, and the global response to address it.

This two-part webinar is in partnership with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, IBP CalMaNa Chapter, IBP Zambales Chapter, and IACAT.

Part 2 of the webinar will be on July 31 and is open to all lawyers, legal aid clerks, law students, and other members of the legal community who are interested to join the fight to end online sexual exploitation of children and help protect children who are exploited online. Participants may pre-register at bit.ly/3hoSBt4.

TikTok Campaign

IJM Global Programs Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children will launch a campaign on TikTok to increase awareness, highlight the work of the Philippine criminal justice system, and drive community reporting against the trafficking of children to create child sexual exploitation materials. The #Report2Protect campaign will run from Aug. 2 until Aug. 6 and will feature videos to be posted on IJM Philippines’s TikTok account (@ijmph) and videos from selected TikTok creators who have massive following on the platform. The videos will highlight the reporting hotlines of the Philippine National Police – Women and Children Protection Center: 0966-725-5961 (Globe) 0919-777-7377 (Smart).

A parallel, complementary campaign dubbed #Detect2Protect aims to fuel the global movement against this crime, by underscoring the global nature of online sexual exploitation of children and the need for improved detection and reporting by the tech and financial sectors.

IJM stands in solidarity with governments and public and private stakeholders who are steadfast in the pursuit of ending the online sexual exploitation of children.

IJM is a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence by rescuing victims, bringing the criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts. Its Global Programs Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children, with offices based in the Philippines, have been partnering with the Philippine government for 20 years; with a focus on this online trafficking crime since 2016.

For more information, visit ijm.org.ph. For media requests, please contact [email protected].

Additional Note The Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, also known as the Luxembourg Guidelines, prescribes the use of the term “child sexual abuse material” or “child sexual exploitation material” instead of “child pornography,” except when referencing the name of statute. Sexualized material that depicts or otherwise represents children is a representation, and a form, of child sexual abuse and should not be described as “pornography.”

About International Justice Mission International Justice Mission is a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. IJM partners with local authorities in 24 program offices in 14 countries* to combat slavery, violence against women and children, and police abuse of power against people who are poor. IJM works with local authorities and governments to rescue and restore survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and help strengthen public justice systems so they can better protect people from violence.