#STAYINCONTROL

17,000 Reports of Suspected Online Child Sexual Exploitation Linked to Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon – September 14, 2026

NO2TA – The Feminist Lab, in partnership with ABAAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality, has launched #STAYINCONTROL, a new campaign dedicated to children’s digital safety. The campaign provides children with accessible content and tools to help them recognize and understand the risks they may encounter online, and know when and how to seek help.

Aliaa Awada, Managing Director of NO2TA – The Feminist Lab, said:

“The launch of #STAYINCONTROL with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands comes at a time when Global Platform for Child Exploitation Policy (GPCEP) reports have recorded 17,000 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation linked to Lebanon in 2025.  And Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, research conducted by UNICEF show that one in five children aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one form of online sexual exploitation or abuse over the course of a year across 21 countries. These figures demand serious action and highlight the need for a child protection approach that puts digital safety at the center of the conversation, while ensuring children have the knowledge and tools to understand online risks and seek support when they need it.”

Laila Enters the Digital World with Children

At the heart of #STAYINCONTROL is Laila, featured in the illustrated story series “Laila Is Smarter Than the Wolf.” The stories follow Laila through everyday situations that may begin as ordinary online interactions, before gradually revealing signs that call for attention.

The stories explore issues such as online grooming, unsafe communication and exploitation, helping children recognize situations that may make them feel uncomfortable, think about how they can respond, and understand when and how to ask for help.

The campaign also emphasizes that children should not be left to face these risks on their own. An important part of #STAYINCONTROL is creating space for conversations between children and their parents, while raising a question that is just as important as how we protect children online: What happens when a child tells us that something has happened to them online?

Awada added:

“Digital safety is not about keeping children away from the digital world. It is about helping them understand it and navigate it safely. Through #STAYINCONTROL, we want to give children the knowledge and space they need to speak up and seek help when they need it.”

Through the campaign, NO2TA calls for children’s digital safety to be recognized as a shared responsibility, one that involves children, parents, educators, institutions and society as a whole. Keeping children safe online is not only about teaching them what to do. It is also about creating an environment where they feel safe to speak, know they will be heard, and can ask for help without fear of blame or punishment.