National guidelines to be introduced for reporting on children

11-Nov-2026

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The National Child Protection Authority has taken steps to introduce a set of national guidelines to ensure the safety and protection of children when reporting news involving them.

The initiative is aimed at reducing various forms of abuse against children.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Department of Government Information to explain the proposed guidelines, National Child Protection Authority Director, Attorney-at-Law and sociologist Shanika Malalgoda said:

“There are several reasons for introducing media guidelines in Sri Lanka. The National Child Protection Authority receives approximately 10,000 complaints of child abuse every year. Today, in addition to sexual abuse and other forms of violence against children, new challenges are also emerging in society.

“Children are increasingly exposed to risks arising from unsafe online environments, teenage pregnancies and drug use.

“Furthermore, in many instances, people make mistakes out of ignorance. Ultimately, however, such mistakes affect the safety of children. It is therefore essential to use these guidelines to reinforce the responsibility of all citizens in protecting children.”

Speaking at the same media briefing, Charitha Thamunupola, Senior Information Security Engineer at the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, said that complaints relating to the online abuse of children had increased.

There were 53 highly sensitive digital media incidents involving children in 2025. This figure had risen to 180 by November 2026. These incidents involve very high-risk cases concerning children on the internet and digital media.

An examination of these incidents has revealed a direct connection between the reporting of children on social media and their exposure to criminal exploitation. In particular, there has been an increase in the use of content involving children following the introduction of monetisation features on social media platforms.

In some instances, parents themselves may be responsible for posting such content. The consequences for a child, who may be exposed to such risks without being aware of them, can be extremely serious. We have therefore focused our attention on these issues,” he said.