About 73 percent of children who participated in the study hold the view that “ if a person takes naked images or videos of themselves, then it is their fault if those materials are shared with other people.”
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A new study, which covered the period until 2021, released by End Violence against Children indicates that as many as 300,000 children were exploited sexually online. From the report, the study was funded by “End Violence Against Children.”
ECPAT International, INTERPOL, and Unicef Office of Research were involved in the course of the research. Part of the motive in undertaking the research, as indicated in the report, was” to better understand how digital technology facilitates the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.” It was undertaken last year.
Perhaps there were children who were sexually exploited online but did not disclose it given one of the findings from the study indicates that “Attitudes about sex may be impacting reporting online child sexual exploitation and abuse – Children who were subjected to abuse but did not tell anyone. They worried they may get in trouble, did not know where to go, and/or felt embarrassed or ashamed. 57% of children surveyed did not know where to get help if they or a friend were subjected to sexual assault or sexual harassment.”
The project was implemented in 12 other countries.
End Violence Against Children highlighted that the key findings from the research in Ethiopia are :
Key findings from the Disrupting Harm in Ethiopia report include:
Attitudes about sex in Ethiopia may be impacting the reporting of online child sexual exploitation and abuse – there were zero sexual abuse or exploitation cases involving technology recorded by the Ethiopian law enforcement agencies between 2017 and 2019.
Due to lack of awareness and understanding, victim blaming is a deeply concerning issue. Young people surveyed in Ethiopia felt that people have a degree of responsibility for the online sexual exploitation and abuse they endure – For example, 73% of children and 84% of caregivers agreed with statements that if a person takes naked images or videos of themselves, then it is their fault if those materials are shared with others.
Yet abuse is happening. Children in Ethiopia are being subjected to harrowing experiences of online child sexual exploitation and abuse – In the past year alone, 10% of internet-users aged 12–17 in Ethiopia were victims of grave instances of online sexual exploitation and abus, including children being blackmailed to engage in sexual activities, having their sexual images without permission, and/or coercing them to engage in sexual activities through promises of money or gifts. Scaled to the population, this represents an estimated 300,000 children in one year alone.
The organisation has released a 76 page report from the study , and it is available HERE
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The country that was built in morality, ethics and rule of law has become the land of lawlessness and violence started by Communist brutal Derg, followed worst Woyane/EPRDF and PP/EPRDF.
The tranquil country where no shots fired at innocent person were heard and no crime went unpunished now has become the nest for rampant and wide spread crimes. Oromo Prosperity Party that is given good name for itself is impoverishing, murdering, scavenging, rampaging and doing the worst kind of barbaric crimes that the world has not seen.
Note, under Tplf, you had no chance to study in the country to see what things were going wrong. The study that is taking place under current government is a good thing, that means ethiopians are able to study wrongs and bring it to light. This by no means should make the current government to be blamed fir bringing abuses out to light. sexual abuse have started under Tplf long time ago and no one would dare to find out or study the wrongs under Tplf because they were and still are the abusers. Do your homework well. This study will help prevent children from sexual exploitation. The problem must now be solved on the ground. The other issues are blaming the current weak government is that people are forgetting the Ehadeg/Tplf/ Shabia ( new coner)/ Olf elements are still intact making the current leadership look like it is creating new type of abuse, as well as continuation and very visible from the past leadership. The current leadership is being scapegoated and it is unable to stop all different kinds of abuses. Tplf is no longer in leadership and will obviously make the abuse visible and worse, to get the govt targeted for blame. There is inability of this govt to get rid of new or former bad elements which might take long time, providing it is not part of the abuse itself.
The fascist and racist rule of the TPLF was based on divide and rule. The TPLF officials themselves have admitted that they have made the Oromo and Amhara communities like straw and fire. Besides, the late fascist leader of the TPLF told his followers that the TPLF rule or power in Ethiopia would end if these two communities (Amhara and Oromo) get united.
Economically, the TPLF leaders ran a network of pillagers and illicit financing transfers which has cost the country an estimated sum of 3 billion dollars as revealed by transparency international. The economic crisis and abject poverty and desperation is also the legacy of the TPLF rule.