New technologies are also used in other forms of child sexual exploitation. Aside from the traditional channel of web sites dedicated to child pornography, there are now risks through the increase in unwanted e-mails (spam) and the use of file sharing.  Peer-to-peer file sharing has increased 85% in one year.

Moreover, there has been an increased use of new mobile phones which can send text messages (sms) and images (mms), including child pornography images. If we take into consideration the fact that the internet is also used for other forms of child sexual exploitation, such as prostitution, the end-result is that the risk of young people being exposed both to images and to potential abusers is growing steadily.

This is what emerges from the Third Annual Activities Report presented by Stop-It (the Italian hotline to combat child pornography on the internet run by Save the Children Italy). The report provides an overview of the trends affecting this phenomenon in Italy.

The report also includes a monographic dossier for parents and teachers, with some advice and suggestions on how, for example, to help young people through their psychological and sexual development.  The focus is on the psychological effects of a child’s exposure to child pornography images and on the methods of enticement used by potential abusers.