Gaps Remain in Understanding Online Child Sexual Exploitation, Public Safety Canada Says

The fact that boys are victimized is often overlooked, report finds

A woman uses her computer keyboard to type while surfing the internet in North Vancouver in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

There remain “important gaps” when it comes to better understanding and combating online child sexual exploitation (OCSE ), Public Safety Canada says in a report that draws on findings from a series of forum discussions it hosted on the topic.

Such gaps include the lack of understanding of specific issues like the prevalence of OCSE from within a child’s circle of trust, or the sexual exploitation of boys, the department said, citing ECPAT International, a Thailand-based non-for-profit dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation of children.