The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a Resolution and a Recommendation requesting that member States put in place a comprehensive legal framework to protect children against online violence.
According to the Resolution, “increased use of the internet and digital tools, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, has led to children being overexposed to age-inappropriate content and behaviour.” Moreover, the Assembly found that “smartphones have undoubtedly opened up a new avenue for personal development online, but they are also a potential source of violence.”
In this context, the Assembly called for a series of balanced measures that would limit the harmful effect of children’s exposure to age-inappropriate content in cyberspace, while also considering children’s best interests, including their “opportunities to benefit from the internet”.
The importance of an enhanced co-operation between State actors and stakeholders in the technology industry has been highlighted, in view of developing policies and strategies to combat, among others, “cyberbullying, harassment and incitement to hatred and violence in the digital environment.”
The Assembly emphasized the effectiveness of international co-operation in addressing online violence against children and encouraged “as many countries as possible around the world” to accede to the relevant Council of Europe treaties and mechanisms already in place: the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS No. 201, Lanzarote Convention) and the Convention on Cybercrime (ETS No. 185, Budapest Convention).
Convention on Cybercrime (ETS No. 185, Budapest Convention)
Cyberviolence Resource: Cyberviolence against children thematic webpage