Terminology matters

The words we use to talk about child sexual exploitation and abuse matter. Language shapes action. Outdated and inaccurate terms like “child prostitute” or “child pornography” shifts the blame onto children and distorts public understanding. 

Childlight was pleased to join ECPAT International, We Protect Global Alliance and Safe Online as core members of the international working group that developed the Second Edition of the Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. 

The guidelines provide updated, survivor-centred, and precise language to describe the sexual exploitation and abuse of children which can help professionals, policymakers, the media and anyone involved in child protection to use words that protect rather than harm. 

You can read more about Childlight’s use of the terminology guidelines in the article ‘Words Matter: The value of a “dictionary” for safeguarding around child sexual exploitation and abuse.’