Digital playground no longer safe:

Online abuse of schoolchildren being ignored

- By Milani Salpitikorala

ACROSS elite schools in Colombo and the quietest corners of rural Sri Lanka, a hidden emergency is growing.

Children are being groomed, manipulated, and extorted online. The only common factor? Access to a smart device — often handed over by a well-meaning adult, unaware of the danger on the other side of the screen.

At Child Protection Force (CPF), we've worked with children as young as 10 who have fallen victim to online predators. This is not just a city issue. Wherever there is Wi-Fi, there is risk. The predators know it — and they are often far more digitally skilled than the adults trying to protect these children.

How online grooming works

It often starts with a seemingly innocent message: a compliment on a photo, a follow request, a friend invite on a game. Once a child responds, the predator slowly builds trust, sometimes over weeks or even months. Then comes the turning point — the request for private images. Once shared, the threats begin: “Send more or I'll share these with your friends and family.”

This is not a rare story. It’s happening every day — to schoolchildren who don’t even fully understand what’s happening, until it’s too late.

Where the system is failing

When these crimes are reported, the system that should respond simply doesn’t. Not because of malice — but because of neglect, delay, and chronic under-resourcing.