Regulation of media and child-related sexual abuse

According to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA),  it recorded 102 incidents of threatening victims with nude photos

Sri Lanka has since independence continuously remained a democratic state. Despite four attempts (thrice by insurgent groups and once by a group of military officers) to change the nature of the state, the people of this country have either by design or by the hand of God, managed to retain its basic democratic structure.

The four pillars of democracy --the Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and the Media --  which create a system of checks and balances, (ensuring a free and accountable government) have largely remained in place. The media though, because of its role of challenging both the executive and the legislature, has often been at the receiving end of attempts to control it.

At different periods in our history, governments of varied hues have used the legislature and its executive arm to control the media. Fortunately, the fall of the regimes concerned allowed the media to continue playing its role as an independent watchdog, informing the public and holding power accountable. 

More recently,  Social Media -- as different from newspaper/magazine, radio and television - has emerged as a new and independent force. On one hand,  it is unrestrained by constraints governing conventional media outlets. On the other,  it has enabled ordinary citizens to be actively involved in dissemination of news. It has also made information available to the consumer in real time.

In times of war and civil disturbances,  it has been able to expose war crimes and  abuse of power as they are committed. The best example of this occurred during Israel’s attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza. Social media also played a major role in shaping the direction of the social struggle in our own country during the presidency of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022.

While these were some positives which grew out of its unparalleled growth,  as is the case in all areas of human activity, social media has its dark side. The medium is widely used to spread hate-speech, incite violence and defame individuals as well as promote sites which target vulnerable young people, having become the largest source for the dissemination of sexually explicit material targeting young people.

An on-line survey titled ‘Youth social media and violence in Sri Lanka’ carried out by the British Council showed that among those surveyed, 20.2% seriously considered attempting suicide; 16.6 made a suicide plan and 9.5 attempted suicide.

According to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA),  it recorded 102 incidents of threatening victims with nude photos. One hundred and two cases were reported between January and September 2025. Other studies indicate that roughly 27% of children have experienced cyberbullying, while 3 out of 10 have experienced online violence.

A few days ago Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa threatened to come down heavily on media and social media outlets if they did not voluntarily self-regulate outlets targeting children via dissemination of sexually explicit videos and those promoting self-harm. 

The minister was speaking in reference to a video circulating on social media regarding the sexual proclivities of the head prefect of a leading college in Colombo and some teachers of that institution. He was also referring to a number of deaths by suicide of students using social media platforms which provide support for the committing of such acts.

The minister warned of a possible crack down on social media via the ‘Online Safety Act’ for exposing children to pornographic material and cyber bullying. Unfortunately, the ‘Online Safety Act, ’ though in the law books, needs to be updated as per Supreme Court instructions before it can be applied.  

While the minister’s outrage is understandable and good, there is another aspect to the problem he raised -The problem of the head prefect’s interaction with teaching staff.

How come a number of teachers were ‘involved’ with this pupil without school authorities becoming aware, until social media exposed the sordid affair? Do school authorities not thoroughly whet the character of students before appointing them to positions of responsibility? Are sons/daughters of elites bestowed with these positions to curry favour with the parents concerned?

The National Child Protection Authority has revealed that it received 10,455 complaints of crimes against children last year. This is not the first time school children have been attacked (sexually or otherwise) in schools. It is therefore of paramount importance to ensure that schools provide a safe space for children.