Sodiq Ojuroungbe
As child abuse continues to raise concerns among experts globally, the Programme Director of Action Against Child Sexual Abuse Initiative, Juliet Obiora, says it has now become an emerging public health crisis that requires immediate legislative reform.
She highlighted the importance of public education to address associated threats such as live streaming, AI-facilitated gender-based violence, and deep fakes.
The child advocate warned that the issue is not only a concern for child welfare but also a public health problem with far-reaching consequences.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, Obiora noted that the impact of abuse on children’s mental health cannot be overstated, stressing that it is crucial to take action to prevent long-term damage.
She maintained that there is a need for a united effort to safeguard children from sexual abuse both online and physical.
While lamenting that online sexual abuse of children is becoming a growing problem, she noted that the rise of technology poses additional challenges for them.
Quoting UNICEF data, which states that one in three children globally have access to the internet or digital devices, the child advocate said this has increased their vulnerability to online exploitation.
She, however, called for a collaborative effort from the government, tech companies, civil society organisations, and internet service providers to prioritise child safety online.
Obiora expressed concern that many platforms were not originally designed with children’s safety in mind, insisting that there is a need to redesign these platforms to protect children.
According to her, investing in child safeguarding has economic benefits, citing a recent study which found countries that prioritise child welfare often see significant returns.
She pointed out that investing in children’s safety will ensure they grow into well-adjusted individuals and contribute positively to society.
The child advocate stressed that neglecting this could lead to numerous problems like drug addiction and prostitution.
She added, “Well, we understand that children are our future. That means that the way we treat children is exactly how we expect our future to turn out. You know, there’s a research I was looking at yesterday, and one of the things talked about was that a particular country had invested so much in the safeguarding of children and there was some sort of economic value for them as a country.
“Understanding that psychological well-being of children is a priority. For growth and development, for every country, especially for a country with such a large population as Nigeria, investing in the safety of children, and ensuring that their rights are upheld has a significant impact on developing, well-nurtured, well-developed children who are of course, going to take care of the future.
“So, if you look at the vices that are connected to childhood sexual violence or sexual exploitation and abuse, you can see things such as drug addiction. You see things such as children going into prostitution, so the vices are so much. They are inter-connected because of those experiences that negatively impact children.
“So, it is very important to invest in safeguarding children as a priority, because when we can nurture and have well-developed children, then, we can have an organised and prosperous future.”
She lamented that the lack of comprehensive data, especially in regions like Nigeria and Africa, hampers effective interventions.
Obiora further said, “This is a new, grey area. There has to be so much because you can’t actually drive any intervention without data. But unfortunately, we need to produce more data, especially in this area of the world.
“But yes, this is a growing problem. And this problem is because of technology. Technology comes with its benefits as well as its challenges. Today, we can say that more children and more people are having access to the Internet.
“In fact, the data by UNICEF showed that one in three children globally have access to the internet, or have access to digital devices. So, you know what that means? You can imagine the population of children in Nigeria.
“This growing problem is a completely whole systems problem. It means that the government, the tech companies, these tech platforms that have produced these platforms, the civil society organisations, and of course, the ISPs, which are the internet service providers that host these platforms locally, all have to come together and ensure that they prioritise the safety of children in these spaces.
“It’s unfortunate that these platforms were built without putting children in the centre, without a concept called safety by design.
“Today, we are working backwards to see how these platforms can accommodate children. But this is a growing problem. In fact, it is a public health problem. And we must as the people come together, all these people I have mentioned come together to prioritise, work on legislations, work on sensitization.
“While we are looking at legislative reforms to ensure that we do have laws that condemn or address these issues, it’s also important to have it more robust and have it even more specific, especially with the evolving nature of these crimes.
“There’s so much. And this has its own psychological impact, especially on children and young people who live in these spaces, who exist in these spaces, and who were born into these spaces. So, this is a priority, and it must be taken as a serious public health problem.”
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