A newly released report by The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect documents the daily realities faced by frontline professionals in the United States working to protect child victims of crimes addressed by the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC). The report is based on interviews and survey responses collected in early 2025 from frontline professionals nationwide, including medical and behavioral health providers, social workers, law enforcement personnel, and prosecutors.
The report highlights the challenges these professionals face in preventing violations of children’s rights under the OPSC and supporting victims’ recovery and reintegration.
Key findings include:
- Inadequate legal frameworks and implementation
- Technological challenges and legal gaps in addressing online exploitation
- Resource limitations for enforcement and victim support
- Insufficient prevention measures and early intervention services
- Lack of education and awareness, particularly regarding technology-facilitated abuse
- Gaps in victim support services, including trauma-informed care and long-term recovery support
- Systemic failures to protect children from sale, prostitution, and child pornography
Recommendations to address these issues focus on some of the following:
- Strengthening legal frameworks
- Increasing accountability of technology companies
- Improving resources and coordination for prevention, intervention, and victim support
- Enhancing education and awareness
- Sources and related content
- Increasing prevention funding and priority
This report serves as a critical call to action, shedding light on the demanding realities faced by those dedicated to protecting vulnerable children and urging comprehensive reforms to better address these grave violations of children’s rights. Read the full report here.
