2025-09-18

BUCHAREST / MADRID / KYIV - From cyberbullying and cyberharassment, exposure to harmful content and hate speech, to online child sexual abuse and exploitation, statistics show that all are on the rise, and digital safety for the youngest citizens has become a global concern.

The accelerated development of AI only adds complexity, generating new forms of cyberviolence, such as deepfake nudes and deepfake pornography, which further exacerbate the already serious emotional and psychological risks associated with prolonged screen time.

For many parents and educators, the digital world feels overwhelming. Schools are only just beginning to address the complex forms of violence that children experience in their everyday lives, while authorities—often unaware or unequipped—struggle to respond. Legislation lags behind, and technology companies remain largely silent about the threats perpetuated on their platforms and networks.

In this intricate context, a team of journalists from Romania, Spain, and Ukraine investigate the tools, laws, and protection measures currently in place to counter the growing forms of online violence affecting millions of young people. The solutions range from media education and digital literacy programmes to participatory theatre raising awareness about cyberharassment; from hotlines for reporting and monitoring online child sexual abuse to AI chatbots designed to help young people and their families stay safer online.

The in-depth series of articles published by each media outlet also maps emerging legislative initiatives across Europe—such as social media and mobile phone bans in schools, or granting individuals copyright over their own faces to combat deepfake imagery. These are all pieces of a complex puzzle of measures that must be taken and continually adapted in the face of an ever-growing wave of digital, borderless crimes against some of the most vulnerable internet users.

Image by Malu Jaramillo/Maldita.es

Team members

Carmen Martinez Vidal

Carmen Martinez Vidal is an investigative journalist based in Madrid.

Carmen Martinez Vidal

Coral García Dorado

Coral García Dorado is an investigative journalist based in Madrid.

Coral García Dorado

Patricia Ruiz Guevara

Patricia Ruiz Guevara is a technology journalist based in Madrid.

Patricia Ruiz Guevara

Ana Gómez Parra

Ana Gómez Parra is a newsroom coordinator based in Spain.

Ana Gómez Parra

Magdalena Torga

Magdalena Torga is a technology journalist from Madrid. 

Magdalena Torga

Maryna Smahina

Maryna Smahina is a Ukrainian author, media editor and trainer. 

Maryna Smahina

Viktoriia Hubareva

Viktoria Hubareva is an environmental journalist from Ukraine.

Viktoriia Hubareva

Oleksandra Voronina

Oleksandra Voronina is a journalist, editor, and translator Ukraine. 

Oleksandra Voronina

Mykola Tymchenko

Mykola is a photo and video reporter from Ukraine. 

Mykola Tymchenko

Andra Mureșan

Andra Mureșan is a young journalist from Romania.

Andra Mureșan

Venera Dimulescu

Venera Dimulescu is an independent journalist from Bucharest. 

Venera Dimulescu

Simina Popescu

Simina Popescu is an Editorial Illustrator from Bucharest. 

Simina Popescu

Andra Matzal

Andra Matzal is a Romanian journalist and editor.

Andra Matzal

Claudiu Popescu

Claudiu Popescu is a photo reporter from Bucharest.

Claudiu Popescu
Media

Scena9

Scena9 is a journalism publication that examines the cultural life of Romania (and beyond).

Scena9

Rubryka

Rubryka is the first Ukrainian media outlet to focus on solutions journalism.

Maldita.es

Founded in 2018, Maldita.es is a leading non-profit foundation and media outlet in Spain.

Maldita.es

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