By Victor Samuel, Program Manager, Action Against Child Sexual Abuse Initiative(ACSAI)
ACSAI is challenging misconceptions about online violence, breaking cultural barriers that silence victims, and creating safer digital spaces for children in Africa, by amplifying the voices of digital natives and survivors.
Sexual violence fuelled by a culture of blame and silence
In Nigeria, societal discrimination against survivors of sexual abuse often stems from cultural norms that value family honor, silence around sexual topics, and victim-blaming.
Sexual violence is often shrouded in silence due to cultural taboos, and online-assisted crimes against children and young people face similar stigma.
Girls and young women, who are disproportionately targeted by online violence, experience societal discrimination, making it even harder for them to speak out or seek help.
Survivors may be labelled as "wayward" or accused of seducing the abuser. Deep-rooted taboos make it difficult for victims to seek help. Many are forced into silence, leading to re-victimization, lack of justice, and prolonged trauma.
A 14-year-old girl we supported was discouraged by her guardians from reporting an adult male who groomed and sexually exploited her online, fearing community shame and “bringing disgrace” to the family. In another case, a girl’s parents refused to press charges against her abuser, a teacher, because of the stigma it would attract in their community. University-age girls are lured with fake modeling jobs or scholarships, only to be manipulated into sharing intimate content, which is later used to blackmail or humiliate them.
Understanding sexual violence in the digital age
"Unfortunately, a widespread misconception exists that young people are merely users of technology, not direct victims of online crimes. This misunderstanding arises from a lack of awareness about the growing population of young internet users in Africa and the unique risks they face online."
Online child sexual exploitation and abuse of children, especially young girls, is on the rise. According to the Out of the Shadows Index 2022, Nigeria ranks 47th out of 60 countries, highlighting significant gaps in prevention, response, and support systems.
Young girls are most vulnerable to online exploitation due to societal power imbalances and limited access to digital literacy programs. They frequently experience grooming, sextortion and non-consensual sharing of intimate images via WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, and Facebook.
An estimated 70% of children aged 6-12 have internet access in Nigeria, many without adequate safeguards or awareness of online dangers such as cyberbullying and online predators, creating an urgent need for digital safety advocacy and psychosocial support.
Survivor-informed, trauma-sensitive spaces: building community trust to shift harmful cultural narratives
Young change makers use their own personal social media platforms to share relatable, anonymized stories, demystifying digital threats and empower young people to recognize, resist, and report abuse.
"Now we have a peer-led network of ambassadors. Through peer education sessions, school outreaches, and digital campaigns, they lead grassroots change. E-Changemakers was launched in response to the growing need to center their voices as digital natives, in developing solutions."
They teach others about:
- Online violence: sextortion that happens via messaging apps, grooming through fake social media accounts and AI- generated images of minors
- Responsible internet use: encouraging privacy settings and secure passwords, not to share or forward explicit content, understanding consent in the digital space, discouraging participation in online bullying, shaming, and knowing how to verify information sources as an essential digital literacy skill
- Guidance to peers experiencing abuse: listening without judgment, recognizing signs of online abuse, knowing when and how to refer peers to trusted adults or support systems, and promoting the ACSAI reporting hotline
A future free from online exploitation
The program’s success lies in its participatory approach, ensuring that young people are not just recipients of information but active contributors in shaping solutions. These young people co-create campaigns, design awareness tools, and advise on language, tone, and visuals that resonate with their peers. They also take part in review meetings and pilot trainings, shaping program delivery. During a recent digital literacy session, their feedback led to the integration of short skits and meme-based learning into the curriculum.
Additionally, E-Changemakers have played a crucial role in bridging the gap between survivors and support services by promoting awareness of ACSAI’s hotline. Their efforts have helped numerous victims remove leaked images and access the assistance they need*.
Since its inception:
- Over 300 young people have been trained as E-Changemakers across 16 states in Nigeria.
- They have reached over 5,000 peers through direct sensitization.
- At least 40 cases of online abuse have been reported through the ACSAI hotline with support from E-Changemakers
- Over 32 instances of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate image content have been successfully removed through a range of trusted reporting mechanisms. These include international platforms such as INHOPE, Take It Down, and StopNCII mechanism, as well as internal reporting and moderation tools provided by technology companies and social media platforms like TikTok.
These young ambassadors play a critical role** in:
- Educating peers on how to report abuse
- Facilitating the removal of intimate images and child sexual abuse material
- Advocating for a safer digital environment
By working alongside young people and survivors, we have successfully co-created solutions with them. This approach incorporates their feedback at every stage of the process and emphasizes multi-sector collaboration.
"Real-life impact includes a girl who, after a sextortion attempt, was supported by an E-Changemaker to report through our hotline. Within 48 hours, the image was removed, and she was connected to a counsellor"
ACSAI worked closely with their institutional partner, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), to ensure Favour was fully supported in a safe and trauma-informed manner.
In line with best practices for safeguarding survivors of sexual violence, Favour received comprehensive psychosocial support throughout the filming process. A professional counselor from NAPTIP was present and available to her before, during, and after filming, ensuring she had a trusted adult she could rely on at every stage. This support structure allowed her to express her emotions safely, process any distress that may have emerged, and pause filming whenever she felt overwhelmed.
ACSAI worked with NAPTIP to ensure Favour’s rights and dignity were protected, maintaining consistent communication and monitoring to ensure she received the assistance she needed.
"We have transformed the narrative: young people are not just spectators but active participants in creating a safer digital world. It has also strengthened trust and collaboration with the communities we serve."
The journey is far from over, but with initiatives like the E-Changemakers Program and projects like Beyond the Screen, we’re paving the way for a safer internet and a brighter future for young people in Nigeria and beyond.
* When a report is been made to the ACSAI hotline (www.acsaing.org/report), ACSAI's trained Internet Content Analyst verifies and classifies the content as CSAM or IIA (intimate image abuse). If confirmed as CSAM, the content is escalated using INHOPE’s secure global platform, which works directly with tech companies and law enforcement globally. Within hours, the image is flagged, removed, and the URL is disabled across multiple platforms. The survivor is then linked to trauma-informed psychosocial support, legal aid (if desired), and community protection services.This process protects victims, removes revictimizing content, and restores dignity.
** Educating peers on how to report abuse: E-Changemakers run sessions teaching how to use www.acsaing.org/report (ACSAI's Hotline) and explain the importance of evidence preservation when reporting abuse. Facilitating removal of CSAM and intimate images: When a case is reported via the ACSAI hotline, it is escalated through INHOPE’s global platform, which facilitates the swift takedown of CSAM from the internet. E-Changemakers play a role in encouraging victims to report and helping them through the process. Advocating for a safer digital environment: They engage in school forums, interviews, dialogues, and online campaigns urging policy change and platform accountability. Equipping others: They distribute educational materials, run peer-led training, that promote online safety.
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Breaking the record of inaction in Nigeria: child-centred, grassroots advocacy for a safer digital future
New data, the world's very first global prevalence figure of childhood sexual violence unveiled by Together for Girls' Break the Record Campaign, shows that in the past 12 months, 82 million girls and 69 million boys experienced some form of sexual violence. This global scourge must be addressed, and we can certainly break this record of inaction towards ending childhood sexual violence. Collaborating with grassroots organizations around ending childhood sexual violence is critical to our mission. It includes data from Childlight which finds that over 300 million children under the age of 18 have been affected by online child and sexual exploitation and abuse in the last 12 months. These forms of childhood sexual violence, both contact and non-contact, have serious emotional, health, and psychosocial impacts on children and youth, including into adulthood. At Ravens Place, a school on the outskirts of Lagos, we delved into the urgent need to address online violence, with youth ambassadors facilitating group discussions with the children. The year ahead will be driven by Suburbancares youth-led advocacy with a children's summit focused on ending Online Sexual Violence in April 2025.
What does it really mean to be child-centered and trauma-informed?
There is no limit to the long-lasting impacts of online child sex abuse. Though significant efforts have been made globally to enact legislation on online child sexual abuse material, the meaningful integration of survivors’ lived experiences is critical to creating a holistic approach to end this global scourge. I was a victim of technology-assisted child sexual abuse when I was 13. I was manipulated into sending one topless image, and that image was used to blackmail me for more images, more videos, and then for my address, the perpetrator came to my home the following morning and committed sexual violence in person, and took more images. An example of a great solution to address technology-facilitated childhood sexual violence is the Model National Response by the WeProtect Global Alliance , in partnership with UNICEF. Some of those officers didn't understand that if you are the officer that's seen that child's image, then that child is not going to talk to you. So we helped them to implement a simple solution: If you've not seen that image, you tell the child upfront, “Don't worry, I've not seen it.” If you have seen it, then you do not speak to that child and instead another officer will conduct the conversation. A resource was also created specifically for those children who are identified in child sexual abuse images. We have seen children being blamed for taking an image consensually and sharing that with their boyfriend or girlfriend. However, we’ve seen children who have been threatened with criminalisation for those images. The Model National Response guides the coordination of national efforts that is critical in delivering a holistic response to online child sexual exploitation and abuse. However, challenges have included private sector participation, weak governance bodies, limited political will to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse, and an entrenched, artificial divide between online and offline child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Young voices demand action: protecting our generation from online abuse now
Having grown up in the digital age, young people often understand the online world better than anyone else. For real change to happen, we must recognize a critical issue: discussions about online safety for young people often occur without their direct input. We must address our perspectives on the need for more education, stricter regulations, and the inclusion of young voices in online safety discussions. Young people have grown up surrounded by digital technology, and their understanding of the online world often surpasses that of older generations. It is essential that young people are included in conversations about internet safety and that their voices are heard. There have been ample discussions about what needs to be done for young people to be safe online without including any of them. Stronger regulations, improved age verification, and the inclusion of young voices in discussions about online safety are all essential steps toward protecting young people in the digital world. By increasing awareness, implementing better safety measures, and encouraging cooperation between tech companies, law enforcement, and parents, we can help make the online world safer for children. Governments must ensure that moment through their pledges; the right people are at the table and ready to take bold action to keep children safe online.
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Nearly half of Africa’s current population is under 18, according to UNICEF data. Steady growth in births and declining mortality rates globally will bring Africa’s child population to 1 billion by 2055.
Safety education is the most powerful safeguard for children
I am a survivor, a child protection advocate, and a children’s book author from Kenya. I was only 5 years old when I was sexually abused.
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