Sharjah Launches Arabic Guide On Using Child Abuse Terms For Journalists, Educators

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A journalist writing a headline about the sexual abuse of a child has a choice. The term“child pornography” is familiar, but it can obscure what the material depicts.“Child sexual abuse material” makes the harm explicit. That change is one of the practical recommendations in a new Arabic guide launched on Monday at the Sharjah International Book Fair.

The first Arabic edition of the international terminology guidelines on the sexual exploitation and abuse of children was launched by the Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF) and ECPAT International.

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It gives Arabic-speaking professionals a shared reference for choosing the right language for a headline, a case report, a training manual, or an institutional policy.

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“At the Humanitarian Foundation, we believe that meaningful child protection begins long before a child is exposed to harm,” Lujan Mourad, director of KSQF, told Khaleej Times.“It begins with the knowledge we share, the language we use, and how well institutions work together.”

Why a direct translation was only the starting point

The partnership was announced on February 2026. Over the following nine months, more than 20 regional and international experts and practitioners helped develop and review the 185-page edition, which spans 17 thematic sections.

KSQF funded the translation and adaptation, while ECPAT International contributed its original guidelines and technical expertise. The review drew on expertise from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen and the UAE, with participation from organisations including UNICEF and Save the Children.

Specialists considered how sensitive expressions would be understood across different legal and cultural settings. Among the examples they discussed were hatk al-'ird, a term used in some legal contexts, and language describing violence committed in the name of so-called honor.

“Arabic is a language of depth, where words can carry meanings that cannot always be captured through direct translation,” Mourad said. She said the foundation worked with experts across the region to preserve the meaning of international guidelines while accounting for the legal and cultural contexts in which the Arabic edition would be used.

Words children can recognise

For Guillaume Landry, executive director of ECPAT International, one question ran through the review. Would children recognise what adults meant when they used these terms?

Landry told Khaleej Times that the process brought agencies together to agree on how to“avoid a victim-blaming language” and“speak with words where children would understand and recognise what we're talking about”.

That matters in a newsroom, where a reader may see only a headline. It also matters in a case note, where the wording can shape how the next professional understands what happened. The guide offers a color-coded reference showing which terms are accepted, which call for caution and which should generally be avoided. An annex lists recommended alternatives.

How the guide addresses AI and online abuse

The Arabic edition covers AI-generated child sexual abuse material alongside livestreamed abuse, online grooming and online sexual extortion.

For journalists and practitioners, the distinction can be as specific as describing how an image was made, how contact with a child began, or whether threats were used. Using the term that fits the facts helps readers understand the conduct being reported.

Launching the guide at the book fair put it in front of journalists, educators, researchers, and child protection specialists. The discussion turned to how participants could use it in their own organisations over the next six months.

A newsroom might review the terms in its style guide. A child protection service could revisit the wording in its case templates. A training provider could incorporate the recommendations into its materials.

Each institution decides how to apply the guidance within its own legal and professional context. For the foundation, signs of progress could include a revised reporting policy or a change in how a team records a case.

“For us, the real achievement will be seeing this knowledge put into practice,” Mourad said.

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