A new report on data collection mechanisms regarding the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, based primarily on a survey of 36 States from Europe and beyond was published today by the Committee of Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (the Lanzarote committee). The report marks the first comprehensive effort to compile good practices and to identify existing gaps in data collection.
"With the new school year starting, it is important to draw attention to one of the ugliest crimes - sexual exploitation and abuse of children," said Maria José Castello-Branco (Portugal), Chairperson of the Lanzarote Committee. "To protect children from this crime, we need to understand where and how it happens. At a kindergarten, school or in another educational setting children will encounter people who may potentially harm them. Only with reliable data from diverse sources in different sectors, including education, can we analyse the patterns and design more effective strategies to combat this crime."
The report provides an overview of the situation in 36 Lanzarote signatories with regard to who collects data, what type of data is collected, how it is used, and whether the effectiveness of data collection mechanisms or focal points is evaluated.
The Lanzarote committee found that while all the countries involved collect some data, only a few have mechanisms specialising in collecting data on child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, with most of them collecting basic criminal statistical data via the police and prosecution service or government ministries. If relevant data is collected by other sectors, it is rarely fed into a single focal point for systematisation or analysis. Very few countries report collaborating with civil-society organisations on data collection. Very few of those then use the data collected to analyse the phenomenon of child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse and, in turn, to inform the development of policies and measures, rather than just to prepare statistical reports.
To address the identified shortcomings, the report offers targeted recommendations to signatory countries. The Lanzarote committee notably requires all countries to involve different agencies dealing with child sexual exploitation and abuse and to engage with civil society in data collection. It also recommends that countries streamline their data entry and diversify their sources by including data from helplines, surveys, and so forth. Signatory countries are equally advised to use the available data on child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse to inform the development of policies and measures and to monitor progress in their implementation.
Evidence-based policy making is also the theme of this year's Day for the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse marked annually on 18 November. The day, launched by the Council of Europe in 2015, serves to raise awareness of this phenomenon with the help of national authorities, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
