(HCCH) This is the fifth statistical study to look into the operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This study concerns all applications received by Central Authorities in 2021. Previous Studies analysed data from applications made in 2015 (Fourth Study), 2008 (Third Study), 2003 (Second Study) and 1999 (First Study).  Read More

(HCCH) This is the fifth statistical study to look into the operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This study concerns all applications received by Central Authorities in 2021. The Regional Report is the second part of the Study, following the Global Report. The Regional Report analyses region-specific data from the European Union, Latin American and the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific States.  Read More

This groundbreaking report, often referred to as ICMEC's Rule of Law project, analyzes child sexual abuse material (CSAM) legislation in 196 countries around the world, and offers a “menu” of concepts to be considered when drafting anti-CSAM legislation. First released in April 2006, the report is currently in its 10^th edition. The latest edition's findings show that since inception 150 countries have refined or implemented new anti-CSAM legislation, 140 countries criminalize simple CSAM possession, 125 countries define CSAM, and only 32 countries require ISP reporting of suspected CSAM.Read More

February 2023, ICMEC Report - Protecting children against sexual offences in ASEAN Member States An overview and analysis of the current legal framework for the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse in ASEAN Member States. Published by the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.Read More

April 2022 (ICMEC)  Millions of children around the world—accompanied and unaccompanied—have been forced to migrate or displaced within their countries. Their lack of maturity and education, as well as vulnerabilities related to their ongoing physical and psychological development, predispose them to an increased risk of exploitation and to going missing prior to, during, and after their migratory journeys. With this publication, we hope to provide even greater insight into the ongoing and ever-evolving issue of child migration and the risks children face throughout their journeys.  ICMEC aims to encourage cross-sector, cross-industry collaboration and engagement; promote ongoing training and education of healthcare professionals, educators, border personnel, and other key stakeholders; and encourage the provision of safe spaces for children regardless of their migrant status to ensure their basic rights are being upheld. With the proper resources, partnerships, and tools in place, migrant children will have a better chance of living healthier and safer lives. Read More

October 2021 (ICMEC, Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & Delos Angeles) The purpose of this paper is to strengthen the child protection legal framework such that it leaves no child in the Philippines vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. The analysis and recommendations reflect the real-world challenges faced by dozens of professionals navigating the, admittedly, robust child protection legal framework in the Philippines, and recommendations from a diverse stakeholder group that supports the child protection agenda. The paper enumerates several impediments faced by law enforcement, regulators, policymakers, private industry, civil society, and others to advance effective action to combat this crime. Through practical recommendations, we endeavor to detail the current legal statutes that hinder or collectively challenge operational action by the diverse stakeholder group. We respectfully urge policymakers in the Philippines Congress to take up the cause and support the review, revision, and/or drafting of new legislation that will address the challenges identified to close the gaps that still exist leaving our children vulnerable.Read More

(ICMEC) Your Role as a Mandatory Reporter - published by ICMEC to support youth serving professionals in identification of signs and indicators, grooming behavior and trauma informed response to child disclosure.  Additional support for training on identifying grooming is available in these additional resources.Read More

Student safety surveys are used to identify child protection risks to be mitigated.  They should not be used if staff are not trained to respond to student disclosre, there is no child protection policy, or clear reporting pathway for students to disclose abuse.  A lack of action following a safety survey could exacerbate existing instances of abuse.Read More

We are currently developing resources in Chinese versions.  Please share applicable resources to EdPortal@ICMEC.org.Read More

(ICMEC) Safeguarding challenges of online school can be overcome with risk mitigating codes of conduct and child protection policies and procedures.  Ensure staff are aware of their professional responsibilities to maintain appropriate boundaries with students.  Usual school principles of avoiding 1-on-1 contact with students and supervised, observable and interruptable contact with vulnerable students should be in place in online learning environments.Read More

This toolkit is designed to assist medical and mental health professionals, health administrators, government officials, shelter staff, and other care providers in assessing and improving health care services available to trafficked children and adults, either on-site at their own organization, or at one or more local facilities (‘referral network’). The kit contains four sections: (1) an overview of human trafficking, (2) a service-assessment tool for determining strengths and challenges in a given facility’s medical and/or mental health care delivery, (3) guidelines for developing or improving medical and mental health services for trafficked persons, and (4) a template for organizing the names of key local and national partners and their contact information. This list will help ensure comprehensive care for trafficked persons.Read More

This groundbreaking report, often referred to as ICMEC's Rule of Law project, analyzes child sexual abuse material (CSAM) legislation in 196 countries around the world, and offers a “menu” of concepts to be considered when drafting anti-CSAM legislation. First released in April 2006, the report is currently in its 9^th edition. The latest edition's findings show that since inception 150 countries have refined or implemented new anti-CSAM legislation, 140 countries criminalize simple CSAM possession, 125 countries define CSAM, and only 32 countries require ISP reporting of suspected CSAM. For a brief overview of the 9^th edition click here.Read More

(ICMEC) - The Internet has global reach, which fuels the need for international legal cooperation to develop more stringent, overt laws to protect children from technology-facilitated child sex trafficking. While vast research exists regarding child sex trafficking broadly, this paper specifically focuses on: how and why technology is increasingly used to recruit, advertise, and send/receive payments for child sex trafficking; examining available international and regional legal instruments; reviewing a sampling of relevant national legislation; presenting model legislative language for consideration; and discussing the role of the technology and financial industries to deter traffickers from misusing their platforms to sexually exploit children.Read More

(ICMEC) The purpose of this paper is to define and analyze sexual extortion and nonconsensual pornography as they impact children, as well as to better understand obstacles to prevention, policy intervention, and prosecution. This paper, framed with a global perspective, also presents effective, model legislative responses and highlights global efforts that are readily adaptable by individual countries to combat the growing number of cases of children who are exploited via sexual extortion and the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images.Read More

(ICMEC, HCCH) This is the fourth research study to look into the operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This study concerns all applications received by Central Authorities in 2015 and will use the findings of previous studies of 1999, 2003 and 2008 to provide an analysis of statistical trends over a 16-year period.Read More

(ICMEC, HCCH) This is the fourth research study to look into the operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This study concerns all applications received by Central Authorities in 2015 and will use the findings of previous studies of 1999, 2003 and 2008 to provide an analysis of statistical trends over a 16-year period.Read More

(ICMEC, HCCH) This is the fourth research study to look into the operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This study concerns all applications received by Central Authorities in 2015 and will use the findings of previous studies of 1999, 2003 and 2008 to provide an analysis of statistical trends over a 16-year period. (This is a provisional edition, pending the completion of the French version.)Read More

(ICMEC) Prompted by the increasing number of cases of online grooming of children and relative lack of awareness of the growing issue, this original report analyzes legislation related to the online grooming of children for sexual purposes in 196 countries around the world. The report includes sections regarding definitions; offenses; and sanctions and sentencing, followed by an overview of related regional and international law, a discussion of implementation and good initiatives, and a global review of country-specific legislation that evaluates national legislation against 5 core criteria.Read More

(ICMEC) Infographic outlines phases of comprehensive child protection planning for schools including abuse prevention education and the professional development needed by staff. Through ICMEC's Education Portal and Global Training Academy, educators are equipped to help prevent, identify and intervene in cases of child abuse, neglect and exploitation.Read More

(ICMEC) This paper examines several cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, and the Blockchain architecture that supports them.  It provides a summary of the underground and illicit uses of the currencies, as well as ramifications for law enforcement and industry.  Read More

(Children’s Charities’ Coalition on Internet Safety, ICMEC) This report describes the impact of the Internet on the production and distribution of child pornography. It makes a number of suggestions about how states can join in the global fight against this vile misuse of cyber-space. In particular, the report presents a range of legal measures which Commonwealth Member States might consider adopting and it sets them in the context of wider initiatives designed to make the Internet a safer place for children and young people the world over. The primary audience for the toolkit is the Commonwealth but it is hoped that it might be of interest to a wider range of countries and professionals with an interest in child protection. This is the third edition of the toolkit. It updates the second edition, published in 2012.Read More

(ICMEC) Developed as a supplement to Child Pornography: Model Legislation & Global Review, this unique review looks at whether the 161 countries having anti-child pornography legislation in place as of the release of the 8^th Edition of the Model Legislation report are taking steps to support their national legislation. ICMEC assessed implementation efforts using a menu of concepts – 7 benchmarks – that represent well-rounded national responses. The report contains a detailed explanation of the benchmarks along with country-specific information.Read More

(ICMEC) The purpose of the Photo Distribution Framework is to explain the role a photo distribution strategy plays in engaging stakeholders, including media and the public, in the search for a missing child, and to clarify the difference between a photo distribution system and a rapid emergency child alert system. Distributing a missing child's photo along with key information about him or her can significantly increase the chances of a child's safe recovery.Read More

(ICMEC, UNICEF) The primary objective of these guidelines is to determine whether laws and policies exist in Latin America that address prevention, reporting mechanisms, tools, and specialized units for the investigation and prosecution of crimes related to online child sexual abuse and exploitation through the review of the regulatory frameworks in each country. The guidelines are intended to be used by relevant stakeholders including law enforcement, investigators, prosecutors, judges, and governmental and non-governmental organizations seeking to promote reform in legislation and in their fields of action, as well as to advocate for the development and reform of policies concerning prevention, victim assistance, and investigation of production, sale, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material.Read More

(ICMEC) This report was undertaken within the scope of a grant from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy in Moscow, with a focus on the issues of missing and exploited children. This report reviews current legislation, policies, and best practices related to missing children in six countries: Belarus, Canada, Finland, Kazakhstan, Russia, and the United States. While not representative of a single region, ICMEC reviewed legislation, policies, and practices in Russia and the United States (per the terms of the grant) along with a sampling of countries nearby to each, including post-Soviet countries and others, in an effort to review a variety of approaches and possible scenarios. The report contains country-specific information – including legislation, policies, and practices – along with a gap analysis and recommendations for developing and strengthening existing mechanisms in each of these countries.Read More

(ICMEC, AMBER Alert Europe) This 14-point framework for implementing rapid emergency child alert systems is to be used in conjunction with other protocols and procedures designed to support the rapid recovery of missing children.Read More

(ICMEC) This report, the second in the series, reviews current legislation, policies, and best practices related to missing children in ten Southeast Asian countries, as determined by their membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (also referred to as Lao PDR or Laos), Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This report contains a regional review and country-specific information – including legislation, policies, and practices – along with a gap analysis and regional recommendations for developing and strengthening existing mechanisms concerning missing and abducted children in Southeast Asia.Read More

(ICMEC, ROCIT) Learn more about how to play your part for a safer Internet. Created for Safer Internet Day 2016, this infographic provides tips to help children stay safer online.    Read More

(ICMEC, The World Bank, Associação dos Juízes Federais da Primeira Região do Brasil) In the framework of the Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development, ICMEC, The World Bank and Associação dos Juízes Federais da Primeira Região do Brasil published a Latin America regional study on legislative responses for the protection of children from violence through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in response to a growing concern over the use of ICTs to commit violence against children.

(ICMEC) In an effort to facilitate more efficient investigation, management, and resolution of missing children cases, a robust, national missing child framework is necessary.Read More