Digital wounds, lifelong scars

The Star

21-06-2025

Child Sexual Abuse Material isn't just content – t's a crime that inflicts deep, lasting trauma
JUST one hour. That's all it takes for an online predator to groom a child – convincing them to share personal details, including their location, and ultimately trapping them in a web of sexual abuse.
In just 60 minutes, a predator can build trust through social media, using flattery, attention and deceitful promises to manipulate a young mind.
Yet, many Malaysians remain unaware of the gravity of what's happening behind screens. Most of us have never even heard of the term Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), let alone understand its devastating implications.
CSAM isn't limited to explicit photos. It covers a wide range of disturbing content – videos, drawings, manipulated images, and any material that depicts or suggests the sexual exploitation of children.
Lurking dangers
In a 2024 global report by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, it was estimated that a staggering 300 million children around the world fall prey to CSAM every year.
Behind that number are countless children whose lives have been deeply affected by online sexual abuse – receiving suggestive questions, being pushed to share images of themselves or their body parts or exposed to sexually explicit content involving other minors.
According to THORN – a non-profit that develops technology to protect children from sexual abuse – children under the age of 12 are often the main targets in CSAM, especially in content that is shared among offenders.
But teens aged 13-17 are also at risk with predators turning to sextortion – cruelly blackmailing them with the threat of exposing their most intimate moments unless they hand over more images or even money.
Kelly Chan, a clinical psychologist at Soul Mechanics Therapy in Petaling Jaya, explains that online grooming is a calculated process in which predators earn a child's trust – often targeting children who feel isolated or emotionally neglected.
'Groomers often present themselves as a supportive adult or even as a friend, to an extent, they offer praises, gifts and attention to create emotional dependency on the children,' she shares.
Chan also adds that trust is established, groomers begin to desensitise children to sexual content – often by introducing inappropriate topics disguised as games or jokes.
Over time, they escalate their demands, asking for explicit photos or acts, leaving the child feeling trapped in a cycle of fear, shame and guilt.
Lifetime of trauma
Once CSAM is shared online, it spreads like wildfire – almost impossible to erase.
Survivors live with the constant fear that someone, somewhere, is viewing their abuse, and the trauma is repeated every time a photo or video is opened, shared, or saved.
'Psychologically speaking, victims can struggle with severe anxiety, depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),' warns Chan.
'They may experience chronic shame and low self-worth, especially if they feel they've lost control over their identity – even more so if they know others can still access their abuse at any time,' she adds.
Kempen Internet Selamat (KIS), an initiative by the Communications Ministry and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), was launched to promote safer internet use and awareness of digital crimes, including CSAM.
Even if CSAM was created in the past, its continued circulation online can keep the trauma alive, leaving victims feeling powerless and trapped in a relentless cycle of abuse.
Many become hypervigilant, withdrawn, or even aggressive, driven by fear and distrust. This emotional toll can affect their ability to build secure relationships and friendships.
'Some children may exhibit age-inappropriate sexual behaviours, such as engaging in sexual talk or mimicking sexual acts, which could be a result of exposure to CSAM,' Chan observes.
She adds that older children may also resort to substance use, self-harm, or other high-risk behaviours as a way to regain a sense of control or escape the emotional pain.
No child's play
'The circulation of CSAM online today involves a complex and evolving ecosystem,' says CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab.
He noted that Peer-to-Peer networks, encrypted messaging apps, and the dark web are often used to share CSAM due to their anonymity, making detection and enforcement difficult.
Amirudin adds that they also see a concerning shift toward the misuse of more mainstream platforms.
'Cloud storage services, social media direct messaging, and even online gaming platforms are increasingly being exploited to share or store such material, often through covert methods,' he says.
By law, those caught possessing, producing, or circulating such material face tough consequences under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with prison terms of up to 30 years.
On top of that, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 adds another layer of punishment, with fines reaching RM50,000 or up to a year behind bars for distributing obscene or offensive content.
Yet, the rising numbers indicate more than law and order are needed to battle this epidemic which is silently slipping through screens, reaching into the lives of young Malaysians.
In just the first quarter of 2024, Malaysian authorities reported 51,638 cases of harmful online content to social media platforms – a sharp rise from the 42,904 cases recorded throughout all of 2023.
Malaysia has long been battling CSAM through various awareness initiatives, including the latest effort by the Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The campaign, called Kempen Internet Selamat (KIS), is a nationwide campaign running from 2025 to 2027, which will involve talks, exhibitions and training on areas including online safety guides and digital literacy.
Raising awareness
In December last year, Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11) principal assistant director senior assistant commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan issued a stern reminder that parents have a critical duty to shield their children from all forms of abuse – including sexual exploitation.
Her reminder came as the country faced a troubling surge in CSAM cases.
'While awareness of general online threats such as scams has grown among the Malaysian public, understanding of the presence and dangers of CSAM remains limited,' Amirudin observes.
KIS will be carried out in primary and secondary schools, universities and colleges, teacher training institutes, and local community spaces like Digital Economy Centres.
He notes that the deeply rooted taboo and stigma surrounding abuse often prevent open discussion – leading to under-reporting and obscuring the true scale of the issue.
Amirudin also highlights a widespread lack of awareness about how seemingly innocent, everyday actions can put children at risk.
'There is a lack of sustained, targeted education that highlights the evolving risks, including how everyday actions like 'sharenting' (parents who share children's images online) can be misused by predators,' he explains.
Everyone's responsibility
'I make it a point to ask my teens about the apps they're using, who they're talking to, and what kind of messages they're getting,' says homemaker P. Meena Kumari, whose children are aged 13 and 16.
'And honestly, just teaching them what's not okay– like someone asking for photos, or trying to move the chat to another app. Being able to talk about these things with your children goes a long way.'
But parents too, says Meena, have to educate themselves. 'It's so easy to fall behind with all the new stuff coming out, but if we don't know what they're on, we can't really help guide them.'
While she agrees parents should play the biggest responsibility, she also feels strongly that it takes a collective effort.
'Schools can help by teaching online safety, and tech companies really need to do more to flag and block harmful stuff before it ever reaches our children.'
If you come across any form of child sexual abuse material, don't stay silent. Report it immediately at your nearest police station or through the Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Every report helps protect a child.
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