Children and young people are online every day, sometimes even at a very young age. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid various content. Your child may see pictures or videos that frighten him or her or where he or she does not know how to deal with them. These pictures and videos may contain illegal content.
The internet is a global digital space without national borders and little or no regulation. This allows your child - and you - to be in touch with friends and family all over the world. Unfortunately, with this great opportunity comes a downside: your son or daughter could also come into contact with people in this digital world, peers but also adults who prey on children.
Sexual violence is not only classified as physical assault such as rape, sexual assault, or sexual abuse, but also any form of unwanted and uninvited sexual communication - in particular online and affecting your child.
Someone could ask your child to send a "sexy photo". Or someone could show them pictures and videos that are inappropriate for their age - even as a teenager. Certain (online) actions carried out by adults towards minors also count as sexual violence, here are just a few examples:
- inappropriate compliments by an adult
- lewd/obnoxious comments about appearance/clothing
- suggestive looks (via webcam)
- sending pornographic material, nudes (own nude pictures)
Please do not panic! Do not ban your child from the Internet because of this! It is important that you accompany your child so that he/she becomes a self-confident user of the Internet - just as you accompany your child in becoming a vigilant participant in road traffic. Point out the dangers. Talk to your child about your concerns, but also about the concerns your child may have. Ask about his or her interests and experiences - without judging. Make sure to be a contact person and confidant for your child, especially if something seems "funny" to him or her (online).
The best thing you can give your child on the way through the digital world is strength:
Give your child the confidence to say NO and STOP when he or she encounters people, online and offline, who hurt, make him or her feel uncomfortable. Children do not have to "put up with it", they can and must put an end to it (e.g. if someone asks for a "sexy photo”).
Let your child know that they can come to you in confidence at any time if they have read "stupid sayings" or other statements that make them feel uncomfortable. Even with pictures/videos, it is important that your child knows: "I can talk to mum/dad about it. It makes me feel better". It is important that your child knows that you are there to support them.
Here are some practical tips on how your child can protect himself/herself against sexual violence online:
- say no or stop
- leave the chat/the WhatsApp group (or similar)
- block the person
- report the person
- get support (e.g. from you)
- go to the police
When your child is empowered, can do this and is sure of your support, it takes away the power of these people: threats have less effect, shame and guilt develop more slowly.
You probably don't know the abbreviation CSAM. You may have heard the term "child pornography". This is the term used to describe the visual material that is produced when sexual violence is filmed, photographed or described and made "available" online. However, this term does not do justice to the truth. It is not pornography, it is a crime and should be called such.
Professionals therefore use the term CSAM - Child Sexual Abuse Material, i.e. depictions of sexual abuse of children. These, along with their production, possession, distribution and consumption, are as much a criminal offence in Luxembourg as the act of sexual violence itself[1].
The KJT, which wants to give every child a voice with its services, also operates the BEE SECURE Stopline. Through this online reporting form, any internet user can report depictions of child sexual abuse online (CSAM) - supporting children's right to protection from violence.
In the context of this work, the KJT, together with ECPAT Luxembourg, is running the Stop Sexual Violence against Children campaign from September to November 2021: https://www.stop-csam.lu.
You can help very concretely in the fight against CSAM, i.e. depictions of sexual abuse of children.
Contrary to popular belief, CSAM is not only published and distributed on the so-called DarkNet. CSAM also exists on the freely accessible Surface Web - which most of us use every day. Children and young people who send videos and photos of minors with sexual content are also confronted with CSAM.
There is a very important course of action that you and your children can implement to reduce the spread of CSAM and protect yourself as well as others from it:
If you encounter CSAM online, report it on the BEE SECURE Stopline, anonymously and confidentially: https://stopline.bee-secure.lu
Don’t ignore it! Report it!
Give the exact link to the picture, video, website or text in the form. You do not need to give a name or any other personal data.
The BEE SECURE Stopline's team of analysts will analyse the content on the basis of the law and forward the report to the competent authorities at home and abroad if it is deemed "illegal".
For questions concerning the BEE SECURE Stopline, as well as the safe use of the internet and the linked media, the BEE SECURE Helpline 8002 1234 is available from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.
[1] Art. 383 – 386 du Code Pénal, Livre II, Titre VII, Chapitre VII https://legilux.public.lu/eli/etat/leg/code/penal/20210430
