Philippine Journal of Child Sexual Abuse – Volume 14, 2025

Understanding OSAEC (Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitaton of Children) from the parent facilitator’s perspectives: Two case studies

Argel Masanda, Ph.D.

Abstract

The Philippines has become the world’s hotspot of live stream sexual assault (World Hope International, 2020) and that the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children (OSAEC) is a family-based crime (International Justice Mission, 2020). Furthermore, UNICEF (2016) revealed that the Philippines has emerged as the center of child sex abuse materials (CSAM) production in the world, with 80% of Filipino children vulnera-ble to online sexual abuse, some facilitated by their parents. All the cases reported took place in private homes, either in the house of the children, their relatives, or fami-ly friends who served as facilitators of the abuse and exploitation. The reason cited by research for parents to use their children in this manner is poverty and found further that funds gained from these efforts have been used only for daily needs. An important question remains, however, and that is how parents moved beyond the rationale of poverty to being an active and willing partner to abuse their children in this manner. This study sets out with that question. However, due to the sensitivity of the questions along with the already difficult access to incarcerated parents, only 2 potential partici-pants agreed to be interviewed. While the study continued using the methodology as originally set out, due to only 2 respondents the report is written as case studies. De-spite that only 2 case studies do not allow any generalizations, the data remains rich enough to allow professional sharing and to highlight new information for use in future research.

COMMENTARY
Kasabwat o co-facilitator?
Redefining parents who produce child sexual abuse materials to use online: Two case studies

Zenaida Rosales and Lois J. Engelbrecht

Abstract

This paper outlines offender-focused theories to understand the behavior of the parent as an individual who has control over her own behavior, and not one who is a victim of the environment; even in the most socially strictly constructed systems, individuals do have the power to determine their own behavior. This paper wishes to expand on previous studies to deepen the understanding gleaned from the case studies of two incarcerated mothers from the Masanda (2025) interviews.