On the UN Day dedicated to preventing child sexual exploitation, a new study by ECPAT International highlights the growing concerns among parents regarding the safety of their children on the internet. Conducted across several European countries including France, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, the report reveals that exposure to sexual or explicit content and the potential risk of online predators top the list of parental fears. Particularly notable are the heightened anxieties among mothers and urban parents, especially in countries like Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Beyond these specific threats, parents express deeper worries about how internet usage may adversely affect their children’s sleep quality and social skills—a concern particularly pronounced in nations like Spain and France.
The data shared within the report emphasizes the alarming statistics regarding internet dangers: while only 40% of parents in the Netherlands view online safety risks as critical, that percentage soars to 73% in Spain and France. This disparity highlights the varying levels of awareness and concern among different nations, further underscored by a recent and shocking criminal case in France. A man received a 25-year prison sentence for orchestrating the webcam abuse of over 1,000 young girls, reinforcing the importance of these parental fears. While parents are also apprehensive about issues like bullying, screen time, and data privacy breaches, these concerns rank lower compared to the imminent risks of explicit content and online predation.
In confronting these challenges, parents employ several strategies to protect their children online. Most notably, the report suggests that open communication serves as the primary method to navigate these digital hazards. Three-quarters of parents surveyed believe that their own experiences with the internet enable them to provide guidance to their offspring. Nonetheless, the study also reveals a considerable gap in effective communication; nearly half of the parents feel inadequately prepared with resources to fully educate their children on digital safety. In previous findings by ECPAT, it was noted that less than 40% of children feel comfortable discussing online threats with their parents, often due to fears around losing privileges, uncomfortable conversations, or parents’ lack of understanding of digital issues.
In addition to fostering open dialogue, many parents attempt to oversee their children’s internet usage by implementing measures such as screen time restrictions and parental controls. However, there remains a hesitance among parents to seek broader solutions or report concerning online behaviors to authorities, with less than one in five willing to engage in community efforts to promote children’s online safety. This raises critical questions about the collective responsibility of families, communities, and institutions in safeguarding children in an increasingly digital world.
As these challenges persist, a coalition of 73 child protection NGOs has called on EU lawmakers to take decisive action to address what they describe as a “child sexual abuse crisis.” Highlighting the staggering figure of over 100 million images and videos of child sexual abuse discovered online last year—98% featuring children younger than 13—these organizations stress the urgent need for legislative progress. A significant barrier remains in the ongoing debates surrounding a new EU regulation meant to combat child sexual abuse, particularly concerning the contentious issue of scanning encrypted communications.
The NGOs are insisting that the issue of child abuse must be approached with the same intensity and legal rigor in the digital realm as it is in the physical world. They advocate for comprehensive strategies to address new forms of digital exploitation, such as live-streamed abuse, AI-generated deepfake images, as well as automated grooming and sexual extortion. The message is clear: legislators cannot afford to delay addressing these emerging threats, and must recognize the vital role they play in establishing a safe and secure online environment for children throughout Europe and beyond.
