Online Child Sexual Exploitation in the Philippines: Moving beyond the current discourse and approach

ABSTRACT

OCSE refers to situations where a child 'takes part in a sexual activity in exchange for something (... or ... the promise of such), from a third party, the perpetrator, or by the child him/herself' and where the sexually exploitative images and materials at some stage involve the online environment, whether being 'produced, bought, sold, possessed, distributed, or transmitted.'1 OCSE is highly interconnected with other forms of child sexual exploitation, including sexual exploitation that occurs whilst the victim is online or the grooming of children online for either online or offline sexual exploitation.2 The Philippines is often referred to as a 'hot spot' for OCSE. Since the first convictions involving OCSE in 2011,3 the number of reported cases has been rising each year, with more than 800,000 tips of possible OCSE from the Philippines in 2019.4 During the COVID-19 pandemic, tips are reported to have increased by 264 per cent.5 Widespread access to low-cost internet and mobile devices together with high levels of English proficiency and an established commercial sex industry are the most immediate explanations for the prevalence of OCSE in the country.6 Whilst the relevant stakeholders concur that more action is needed to tackle the issue, there is disagreement regarding how the problem is represented and addressed. High profile awareness and online safety campaigns portray OCSE as being perpetrated against young children by adults, usually within the same household.7 However, existing research and the experience of many community-based practitioners suggest that self-generated sexual content/material by children is more common and becoming normalised in many communities with friends and young relatives 'coaching' their peers in how to produce sellable images and access paying customers via anonymous payment systems without an adult 'facilitator'.8 Research suggests a range of motivations for children to engage in this behaviour, including to meet their families' financial needs;to have their own money to purchase clothes, gadgets, or drugs and alcohol;or in the hope of forming relationships with foreign men online.9 The sole study on the impact of OCSE in the Philippines suggests higher levels of post-traumatic stress, lower self-esteem, severe educational delays, and an increased risk of entering prostitution among victims.10 However, the long-term effects of OCSE, whether facilitated by an adult or involving self-generated material, on the mental, physical, sexual, and social wellbeing of children is unknown and research is greatly needed to address this gap. Whilst national legislation in theory supports this approach, multiple factors such as fragmentation of services, lack of sustained funding, and poor cooperation at the local government level limit programme reach and implementation.18 Progress is also disrupted by incongruous government policies and laws, including those that require a guardian's consent for children and youths under 18 years to access SRH services, but hold that children as young 12 can provide sexual consent and be held criminally liable at the age of 15.19 A large body of evidence confirms that comprehensive SRH education can have a significant impact on SRH outcomes.20 Nascent research also suggests that this impact can be extended to related issues and, thus, experts recommend the inclusion of topics such as internet sexuality and gender-based violence.21 However, to be effective, SRH programmes must be holistic and intensive, using activity-based and learner-centred educational methodologies. Working together to end the sexual exploitation of children online, 2018, pp. 5-9 and 14, https//wwwweprotect.org/wp-content/ uploads/Global-Threat-Assessment-2018-EN.pdf. 7 M Abad, 'PH Government, Private Sector Launch Joint Campaign Against Online Child Sexual Abuse', Rappler, 22 October 2019, https//wwwrappler.com/moveph/ saferkidsph-campaign-against-online-child-sexual-abuse;No Author, 'New Campaign SaferKidsPH to Raise Awareness on Online Sexual Exploitation of Children', UNICEF, 22 October 2019, https//wwwunicef.org/philippines/press-releases/ new-campaign-saferkidsph-raise-awareness-online-sexual-exploitation-children. 8 Plan International, Children and the Sex Trade in the Digital Age A study on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Metro Manila, The Girls Advocacy Alliance, 2018, p. 29, https//plan-international.org/publications/children-and-sex-trade-digital-age;Internet Watch Foundation, Trends in Online Child Sexual Exploitation Examining the distribution of captures of live-streamed child sexual abuse, IWF, Cambridge, 2018, p. 11, https //wwwiwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/Distribution%20of%20 Captures%20of%20Live-streamed%20Child%20Sexual%20Abuse%20FINAL.pdf;National Center for Missing and Exploitation Children (NCMEC), The Online Enticement of Children An in-depth analysis of CyberTipline reports, 2017, retrieved 24 November 2020, https//wwwmissingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/ncmec-analysis/ Online%20Enticement%20Pre-Travel.pdf;Terre Des Hommes Netherlands, p. 23.