• Thema

    Violence against children

    The digital environment may open up new ways to perpetrate violence against children, by facilitating situations in which children experience violence and/or may be influenced to do harm to themselves or others.

    Crises, such as pandemics, may lead to an increased risk of harm online, given that children spend more time on virtual platforms in those circumstances.

Current News

The photo shows a little boy holding a cell phone. He has black hair and is seen from behind.

AI governance must take children’s rights into account

On the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly, to be held from 22 to 28 September 2026 in New York (USA), more than 125 organisations and experts are reiterating their joint statement on children’s rights and artificial intelligence. They had already drawn attention to these issues at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July 2026 in Geneva (Switzerland), emphasising that children’s rights in relation to the digital environment must also be applied in the context of artificial intelligence as set out by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2021 in its General Comment No. 25 on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Internet Watch Foundation Report: AI-Generated Material Depicting Sexual Violence Against Children

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has published a report on AI-generated material depicting sexual violence against children.

ECPAT - Policy Brief: Small Amounts, Grave Consequences

In July 2026, ECPAT Deutschland e.V. published a study in German. The study focuses on financial transactions related to the sexual exploitation of minors in the digital space. The accompanying policy brief was also made available in English.

 The cover of the guide has a green background. It features two drawings by children.

Guide for Parents and Guardians: AI-Generated Content and Sexual Violence Against Children

The guide was published in June 2026. It is intended for parents, guardians, and caregivers and aims to provide information on how to better protect children online.

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Expert Commission: The digital world must be child-friendly

After 9 months of intensive work, the expert commisison on "Protecting Children and Young People in the Digital World" today presented its recommendations to Federal Minister for Youth Karin Prien. On 4 September 2025, she had appointed eighteen experts from various professions and mandated them to develop a strategy for the protection of young people online, including specific recommendations for action for various stakeholders such as the federal government, the Länder (federal states) and civil society.

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Expert Commission: The digital world must be child-friendly

After 9 months of intensive work, the expert commisison on "Protecting Children and Young People in the Digital World" today presented its recommendations to Federal Minister for Youth Karin Prien. On 4 September 2025, she had appointed eighteen experts from various professions and mandated them to develop a strategy for the protection of young people online, including specific recommendations for action for various stakeholders such as the federal government, the Länder (federal states) and civil society.

UN Report: Getting Children’s Safety Online Right

This brief offers some guidance to help ensure we get children’s safety online right.

jugendschutz.net: 2025 Annual Report

The organization jugendschutz.net has published its 2025 annual report on the protection of minors online.

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Consider children's rights in relation to new gTLDs

The multi-stakeholder community gathered in Seville, Spain, for the ICANN Policy Forum from 8 to 11 June to continue discussing current issues and developments regarding the structuring and safeguarding of the internet. The “Child Protection and Children’s Rights in the Digital World” project run by the Digital Opportunities Foundation has been actively involved in the ICANN community for years, working to ensure that aspects of child protection, in particular, are taken into account within the Domain Name System (DNS).

Protect Children: Research Report on Sexual Violence Against Children Online

Protect Children has published a research report. The report examines the experiences and consequences of sexual violence and exploitation faced by victims both online and offline.