Online Child Abuse in Muslim Countries: A Growing Concern

As digital platforms become increasingly integrated into our lives, the risk of online child abuse has escalated worldwide, and Muslim countries have not been immune to the global trend.

India and the Philippines are affected the most, reporting 16 million and 7.1 million cases of online child exploitation, respectively, according to the data of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) of the US. Pakistan closely follows with 5.4 million cases, while Indonesia and Bangladesh take up the next positions with the same number of reports, 4.7m each.

Studies by UNICEF indicate gender disparities, poverty, and lack of access to resources as contributing factors to online vulnerability. This effect is compounded by parents being overwhelmed by stress and fatigue from overworking, as well as their inadequate parenting skills.

Experts have suggested some solutions to mitigate the devastating impact of online exposure, including: teaching children about online safety, boundaries, and reporting mechanisms, as well as equipping parents with knowledge on monitoring and protecting their children online.