The European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, established by the Council of Europe (CoE) in 2015, is celebrated on 18 November. This significant event encourages everyone to reflect on preventing and combating a problem that has very serious consequences for the health and future of children and adolescents.

This year's edition is dedicated to the following theme: Emerging Technologies: Threats and Opportunities for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

To further explore the theme of the Day, please consult the Declaration on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse Facilitated by Emerging Technologies , adopted on 7 November by the Lanzarote Committee of the Council of Europe, the body that monitors the CoE Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention).

It is also important to highlight the key role played by the Department for Family Policies in this area. Among the numerous actions aimed at preventing and combating violence against minors and various forms of sexual abuse, the Department is responsible for drafting the annual Report presented by the Prime Minister to Parliament (pursuant to Article 17 of Law No. 269 of 1998).

Additionally, the Department chairs the Observatory to Combat Paedophilia and Child Pornography, set up at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in 2006. The primary task of the Observatory is to acquire and monitor data and information on the activities carried out by all public administrations on the prevention and repression of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and young people.

For further insights, please consult the legislative framework on sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and adolescents produced by the Department for Family Policies and the National Documentation and Analysis Centre for Childhood and Adolescence, and the following study materials selected from the A.C. Moro Innocenti Library: Bibliographic research on sexual violence; Bibliographic research on intra-familial sexual violence; Bibliographic research on children and adolescent victims of violence; bibliographic research on paedophilia; bibliographic research on child prostitution and sexual exploitation; bibliographic research on online violence.

Other materials and news can be found on this site under the topic Sexual exploitation and Sexual abuse of children and adolescents accessible from the "Topics" navigation menu.