Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 19 million images of child sexual abuse are exchanged online every day. Yet, this huge problem remains almost invisible. Child Focus, the Belgian Center for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children, wants to bring this problem to light. On the European Day of the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse, we launched a campaign that raised awareness for the problem and for stopchildporno.be, where people can report online images.

We showed the Internet the true social power of the web’s favourite pet. On the European Day of the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse, Child focus rallied an army of cats to fight online child sexual abuse. The campaign was launched a cute cat picture on Instagram, showing this written message: “For each cat photo, 78 images of child sexual abuse are also shared”. A very tangible way to make people aware of the scale of the problem. By sharing a similar picture with the hashtag #catsforkids, we gave cat owners not only any, but the best excuse to go all out: fighting child sexual abuse and making the internet a nicer place. Our social post also led people to stopchildporno.be, where people can report online images of child sexual abuse.

Online Child Sexual Abuse is a huge problem, yet it remains almost invisible. Unlike cats, the Internet’s favourite pet. So, to raise awareness, we decided to unleash cats’ social power. We compared the 19 million online images of child sexual abuse that are shared online every day, to the number of cats that are shared on Instagram: 243.000 a day. Meaning that images of child sexual abuse are shared 78 times more than cat pictures. This insight was a very tangible way to make people aware of the magnitude of the problem. We gave them the best reason ever to go all out with sharing cat pictures: fighting against child sexual abuse. Moreover, sharing your cat with the hashtag #catsforkids was a very accessible way to participate in the campaign. The campaign was launched with the help of many catfluencers, creating an instant snowball effect and catching the media’s attention.

The campaign was launched on the European Day of the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse. Child Focus posted a cute cat picture on Instagram, showing our message. By sharing a similar picture with #catsforkids, we gave cat owners not only any, but the best excuse to go all out: fighting child sexual abuse. Our social post led people to stopchildporno.be, where people can report online images. We asked several ‘catfluencers’ to join the fight and share a picture, which convinced other catfluencers to participate as well. In just one day, thousands of cat pictures were being shared. Even world-famous Kate Beckinsale showed the power of her cats, taking the fight to a global level. It became a furry feast for national and international media. Even politician’s cats fought along, making it impossible to ignore the real conversation about online child sexual abuse in political circles.

Child Focus not only raised awareness for online child sexual abuse. The campaign also renewed the attention for stopchildporno.be, where people can report online images of child sexual abuse. In the long term, the campaign helps Child Focus to break the taboo over online child sexual abuse, that prevails in society.

48.1M impressions

23.3M reach

224K earned media

+428% engagement rate (compared to the average of Child Focus’ posts in 2020)

+49% reported images on stopchildporno.be (in the month of the campaign release)