I find it deeply disturbing when I see people on the internet share images or videos of children who have suffered abuse with the casualness of lighthearted gossip. People have gotten so numb to the cruelty that takes on in this world to the point that images or videos of victims of abuse doesn't bother them.
Recently, pictures and videos of a young girl who was a victim of sexual abuse was all over the three popular forms of social media (Facebook, Ticktok, and Twitter).This girl was exposed to strangers on the internet who, you can’t convince me were even the least bit concerned about her welfare or the abuse she had been facing.
I don’t believe that publishing/sharing such media is never done in good faith or with the victim in mind. I have seen how it further perpetuates abuse by exposing the victim to internet harassment and other forms of harassment. With this case, as some appeared to be genuinely concerned for her well-being, a good number of individuals ostracized, humiliated, and blamed her for the abuse she had suffered. And it is sad to think that, her story, her face and most of her personal information will forever be accessible and permanent on the internet.
Imagine this girl growing up and having to deal with the fact that the internet will always be there to remind her of the abuse; think the anguish of reliving all of that. These abuse victims often live and navigate their communities with guilt and hanging over their heads considering that, ours is a community which doesn’t take a step back when it comes to victim-blaming and shaming. I saw a comment, from the church community the girl belongs to, blaming her and the devil for orchestrating the downfall of her perpetrator, who happens to be a pastor of the said church.
Sharing photos and videos of a minor in a demeaning situation even with the best intentions can cause serious harm to the child and often subjects the child to different forms of abuse.
Several human rights organizations provide guard lines on how to protect children/minors when reporting and dealing with cases of abuse. Among them is UNICEF, which asks individuals to first and foremost consider how to best protect a child's dignity. Individuals are encouraged to edit videos or photos in a way that hides the child but shows the perpetrator, in cases where they have no choice but to share videos or photos.
Protecting children and their dignity is never complicated issue. Article 16 of the Convention on The Rights of a Child highlights that no child should be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his/her privacy, family, home or correspondence nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honor and reputation. When dealing with children, we must all be aware that children have as much rights to protection and privacy as any other adult. Children’s right to privacy and protection is also very clearly emphasized in our constitution under the childcare, protection and justice act, chapter 26:03. No matter the circumstances, children must be protected. Even if the law happens not to be clear on such issues,this still remains a matter of ethics and decency.
The Ministry in charge of protecting children's rights and welfare, Ministry of Gender, Community Development, Disability, and Social Welfare (as well as other children's rights and welfare organizations), must strictly enforce guidelines on how to best to ensure that children are protected even in media. The public must also play its role, but first and foremost, everyone,especially social media users, need to be civically informed/educated about children's rights and how to handle child abuse news (graphics) and issues. There is a critical need for programs and interventions to educate and remind everyone of their responsibility to protect children.
Protect a child,blur, dont share images or videos of victims of abuse
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