An increasing number of children are victims of online abuse
Children who spend more time on the Internet face growing risks, including exposure to inappropriate content and dangerous interactions. Recent data shows that over 60% of children aged 13 to 15 have encountered such situations in the past year. Alarmingly, three out of ten have experienced blackmail after communicating with strangers online, and one in three children have been solicited for sexual images. This information was shared by Veronica Maevschi, the director of the Children's Program "La Strada," during the show Bună dimineața on Moldova 1 TV.
The Internet poses various dangers, and children must know where to turn if they encounter specific situations, including the need to report instances of digital violence. Since 2013, the La Strada Center has been managing the siguronline.md platform for children, parents, and teachers, providing valuable information on this topic. The platform also features a chat where children can seek support, as explained by Veronica Maevschi.
According to her, the number of notifications regarding such cases surged fourfold in 2024 compared to 2023, the year when the reporting service was launched, totalling over 11,000 reports. "With the help of hosting providers, we have successfully removed over 29,000 videos or photos of a sexual nature from the online environment. Most of these images target girls, who are particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon," Maevschi emphasized.
Ludmila Bodiu highlighted that, in most cases, abusers are adults seeking to obtain sexual content from minors. "We have implemented a series of activities involving parents to ensure they respond appropriately to such actions, emphasizing that the child should not be blamed. The person responsible for distributing and requesting these contents is the adult who has solicited the child to create such images," she explained.
To prevent such situations, experts recommend that parents monitor their children's online activities, engage in open discussions about the dangers of the digital world, and encourage them to report any suspicious interactions.
As a reminder, Safer Internet Day is observed annually on the second Tuesday in February. In 2025, it will be held on February 11.
