We are calling for a child rights and protection driven approach to creating a safe internet.

Online childhood sexual violence is a universal, borderless crime. We demand action in every country around the world.

We demand a a safe internet, where children and adolescents are secure, protected and free from all forms of sexual violence online.

APRIL 2023 – support our survivor mobilization urging the EU to protect children from sexual violence!

On Tuesday 25 April 2023 join survivors in Brussels and worldwide urging the EU to pass a crucial set of rules that will allow millions of children to thrive both freely AND safely online.

Survivors of childhood sexual violence and leaders of the global Brave Movement will gather with activists and allies outside the EU Parliament on 25 April 2023 – as EU leaders debate crucial aspects of the proposed EU Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.

Brave will be joined by EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, leading the process to pass the Regulation. Survivors are uniting to demand EU leaders be brave and act to protect millions of children at risk from the violence and trauma they faced.

We are asking survivors and allies worldwide to stand in solidarity with the team in Brussels by sharing on Twitter & Instagram why you want the EU to #BeBrave and protect children from sexual violence.

You can find everything you need to join this action in our Brave social media toolkit.

As access to the internet has increased globally, reports of online child sexual violence material have grown exponentially. The  number of online sexual exploitation reports rose by 100% from 2019 to 2020.  Despite online child sexual violence being prioritized by many countries, there is still significant work to do to ensure greater protection for children online. While 67% of countries have legislation prohibiting the showing or sending of sexually explicit material to a child online, only 35% of countries have specific legislation targeting online grooming.

Many survivors and allies are already mobilizing around this issue. Citizens across the EU have expressed support (68%) for the EU to implement legislation that will keep children safe online and for the use of automated tools to identify child sexual abuse materials..

There is also a clear political appetite. Interpol’s Secretary-General, Jurgen Stock, told the World Economic Forum in Davos that children are at greater risk of online sexual violence than ever before. The G7 interior ministers’ statement in 2022 included a specific mention of the threat the internet poses to children.

Campaigning for a safer internet presents opportunities to  discuss prevention of childhood sexual violence both online and offline.  Online childhood sexual violence images often depict violence committed by perpetrators in the immediate family circle of the child.

The Brave Movement calls on all technology companies to immediately detect, report, and remove all online childhood sexual violence material.