Regional Overview on Child Sexual Abuse Images through the use of Information and Communication Technologies in Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine
By ECPAT, 2008
The world has entered a new information age in which all sectors of society are greatly influenced by the creation, distribution, diffusion and use of information, facilitated by the development of new communication technologies, including the Internet. In this new configuration of virtual spaces, the special protection afforded to children needs to be reviewed in order to encompass the changing complexities and evolving vulnerabilities that may lead to specific forms of sexual exploitation of children, especially through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
The countries studied are facing a rapid increase in information and communication technologies supported by governmental policies that are actively pushing for the widespread development of the Internet nationally and especially in educational realms. As a result, an increasing number of children are accessing the Internet, creating new opportunities for learning and sharing information or socialising throughout the world. However, this has also led to an increasing number of cases of sexual exploitation, particularly as prevention and protection measures are not systematically included in the countries studied at the early stages of ICT development.
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