200,000 children abused online

Perceptions of risk

The report notes that as risks of harm continue to evolve and grow exponentially, prevention and protection have become more difficult for governments, public officials and providers of public services to children but also for parents and caregivers.

The researchers say it is important to “situate” the offences within the wider context of children’s internet use in the country. For instance, half of the caregivers surveyed have never used the internet while those aged 50 and above are far less likely to be internet users than young caregivers.

“As many caregivers have limited online experience, it is important to consider the support and knowledge they need as well as the role that can be played by schools in guiding their children’s use of the internet,” says the report.

Through the survey, children were asked whether they had been subjected to a range of potential and actual instances of online child and sexual abuse within the past year.

Potential instances of online child and sexual abuse included unwanted requests for children to talk about sex and unwanted requests for images showing their private parts. Meanwhile, actual instances of online child and sexual abuse included being offered gifts in return for sexual images and being threatened or blackmailed online to engage in sexual activities.

The proportions of children who said that these things had happened to them varied between 8% and 21%, depending on the question, with little variation between boys and girls. Most children who were subjected to possible grooming attempts refused to do as asked, but a small proportion complied with unwanted requests.

Ten percent of 15–17-year-old internet-using children said that they had accepted money or gifts in return for sexual images or videos. Meanwhile, nine percent of children said sexual images of them had been shared without their permission in the past year.

But, when asked to rate the riskiness of various forms of online behaviour, only 36% of internet-using children ranked this activity as ‘very risky’ for children their age.

In the same way, only 49% of children considered sending their personal information to someone they had never met face-to-face ‘very risky,’ compared to 76% of caregivers. Almost half (48%) of children surveyed thought that meeting someone face-to-face whom they had first got to know online was ‘very risky’, a perception shared by as many as 77% of caregivers.

While most children recognised that these activities carried some level of risk, 22% said that speaking to strangers online was ‘not risky at all,’ and 12% were not sure if it was risky or not.

Similarly, 18% of children found it ‘not risky at all’ to share personal information  with strangers and 17% found it ‘not risky at all’ to meet up in person with someone that they had first got to know online.

As many as 63% of the children surveyed said that they looked for new friends or contacts on the internet, while 52% of children added people they had never met before to their contact lists, and 31% shared their personal information with someone they had never met face-to-face.

Notably, one in four children had shared a photo or video of themselves with someone they had never met face-to-face. Of the children surveyed, 15% had gone ahead to meet someone in person whom they first met online.

By contrast, 72% of the parents or caregivers in the household survey said that talking to people online whom they have never met in person was ‘very risky’ for children. Most caregivers responded in the survey that they would tell somebody if their children were sexually harassed or abused, and 48% said they would report it to the police.

Children embrace Smartphones

According to the report, the total internet subscriptions in Uganda stood at about 21.4 million as of December, 2020, and 99% of internet access is via mobile subscription.

And as is the case in most countries, smart phones were by far the most popular devices used by 12-17 year olds to go online, likely due to their relative low cost.

As many as 96% of internet using children in Uganda accessed it using mobile phones compared to those who accessed it via computers (16%) and tablets (4%).

The report found the internet penetration rate among 12-17 year olds standing at 40%. Among 12-13 year olds, it stood at 16%, among 14-15 year olds, it was 35% and for 16-17 year olds, it stood at 63%. Among girls it was 35% while for boys it was 45%. For rural-based children, it was 36% while urban dwellers, it stood at 56%.

The report notes that most internet-using children in Uganda are mostly online at home—which is in line with the global trend. Only 35% of children have ever used the internet at school.

Interestingly, there were no notable differences by age, gender, or urban-rural location in the type of device used. About four out of ten children share their mobile phone with someone else. Among those children who use computers to go online, almost all of them (95%) share the computer with someone else.

Unfriendly children justice

The government has enacted a number of child protection laws and policies, including the Children Act (2016) and the Computer Misuse Act (2011) but six girls interviewed who had experienced online child sexual exploitation and abuse and had actually tried to obtain justice through the police and the courts said they were disappointed and hurt by their encounters with most local leaders and police officers. There were delays in taking action and requests for ‘informal fees.’

Some were interviewed by male police officers although they would have preferred a female officer. They had to narrate their traumatic experiences repeatedly. They felt that their cases were not taken seriously, that the police were not familiar with online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The girls said they had been blamed for what had happened to them. Only one case moved beyond the reporting phase to the courts. This case ended in an out-of-court settlement and no conviction.

****