By Noel Mkwaila
As internet access expands among children in Malawi, so too does their exposure to online abuse.
Yet despite a growing number of cases, many incidents remain unreported, with experts warning that fear, stigma, and complex reporting systems are keeping victims silent.
“I was chatting with someone online… at first, it was normal. But later, he started asking for my pictures. When I refused, he threatened me. I got scared… I didn’t report to anyone.”
This is the experience of Salah Banda, not her real name, a 17-year-old Form Three student at one of the secondary schools in Blantyre.
Like many young people, she uses her mobile phone for educational purposes, but her encounter reflects a growing digital risk facing children.In Malawi, child online abuse is becoming more common, yet many cases remain hidden.
A 2023 national ICT survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in collaboration with the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) shows that while internet access among children remains relatively low, nearly a quarter experience some form of online discomfort.
Alarmingly, almost half of those affected do not report the incidents.Experts say this silence is not accidental. It is shaped by fear, stigma, and structural barriers within reporting systems.
Many children are aware of official reporting platforms, including those under the Malawi Computer Emergency Response Team (MwCERT).
However, these systems often require navigating websites, completing formal documentation, and submitting detailed complaints, processes that can feel complex and intimidating for young users.
Charles Fodya, Head of MwCERT, acknowledges the reporting gap but says efforts are underway to address it.
Fodya: we are working on awareness so everyone is aware of the reporting means.
“While we have reporting mechanisms in place, including online platforms and toll-free lines, accessibility and awareness remain a challenge. We are prioritising awareness to ensure more people, especially children, understand how to use these systems,” he said.
Child protection organisations echo similar concerns, highlighting that the issue is not just the availability of platforms, but their usability.
YONECO Executive Director McBen Mkandawire says fear and lack of child-friendly systems continue to discourage reporting.
“Most children do not report because the platforms are not always child-friendly, or they fear the consequences. We continue to provide support through counselling, toll-free lines, and other safe channels,” he said.
The gap between available systems and children’s ability to use them has opened space for innovation.
In Blantyre, Nathan Majawa, a Master’s student in Media and Communication for Development at the University of Malawi, piloted a WhatsApp-based reporting tool called SafeChat Guardian in selected secondary schools.
The platform is designed to make reporting easier, private, and more accessible by using a digital space children are already familiar with.
Majawa: The pilot phase received massive response
“The objective was to create a platform that removes barriers, something children already use, where they can report safely, privately, and without going through complicated processes,” said Majawa.
The tool complements existing national systems by linking children to professional support, including counsellors and child protection officers.
Early monitoring shows that learners are not only reporting incidents through the platform but are also gaining awareness on online safety.
Many users say they prefer it because it is simple, confidential, and easy to use.The initiative has drawn attention from child rights advocates.
Memory Ngosi has since called on authorities to support and scale up such innovations by promoting both the platforms and the individuals behind them.
Ngosi: Government should motivate innovative means of reporting such issues
Malawi has, over the years, demonstrated commitment to child online protection through a mix of policy direction, public awareness campaigns, and high-level advocacy.
These efforts have sought to position child safety as a national priority in an increasingly digital society.
The appointment of former First Lady Monica Chakwera as Child Online Protection Ambassador further amplified the issue, helping to elevate it from a technical concern to a broader social and developmental agenda.
Yet, beneath this visible commitment lies a more complex reality.
Experts argue that awareness alone, while necessary, is not sufficient to drive meaningful change.
Knowing that abuse exists or that reporting platforms are available does not automatically translate into action, especially for children navigating fear, confusion, and emotional distress.
The psychology of online abuse adds another layer to this silence. Exposure to sexual content, coercion, or harassment can trigger deep feelings of anxiety, shame, and self-blame among young people.
Over time, these experiences may erode self-esteem, leading to withdrawal, depression, and in some cases, long-term trauma.
Beyond the immediate harm, such exposure can distort how children understand relationships, trust, and personal boundaries, quietly shaping their social development in harmful ways.
This creates a troubling paradox: the more harmful and personal the abuse becomes, the less likely it is to be reported. Silence, in many cases, becomes a coping mechanism, shielding victims from perceived judgment, punishment, or further harm.
In this way, abuse is not only experienced in private but is also contained there, hidden from systems designed to respond to it.At the same time, Malawi’s digital landscape is evolving.
As internet access among children grows from 2.5 percent in 2019 to 4 percent in 2020, according to the 2023 MACRA ICT survey, more young users are entering online spaces often faster than protection systems can adapt.
This widening gap between access and safety increases vulnerability, particularly for first-time or unsupervised users.
The challenge, therefore, is no longer just about connecting children to the digital world, but about ensuring that the systems meant to protect them evolve at the same pace.
Reporting mechanisms must move beyond being available to being accessible, intuitive, and responsive to the realities of children’s lives.
This means rethinking not only the platforms themselves, but also how trust is built around them.
For many children, reporting is not just a technical act, it is an emotional decision shaped by whether they feel safe, believed, and protected.
Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 16, which calls for the protection of all people including children from abuse, Malawi’s next step may lie in redesigning its response systems with the child at the centre.
This includes simplifying reporting channels, integrating them into familiar digital spaces, and strengthening support systems that respond quickly and sensitively.
Because until that gap between experience and response is closed, cases like Salah Banda’s risk remaining unheard not for lack of systems, but because those systems feel distant to the very people they are meant to serve.
