The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has taken steps to introduce a national code of guidelines to ensure child protection in Sri Lanka. 

The initiative aims to minimize various forms of abuse against children, according to the Authority.

A media briefing to raise awareness about the guidelines was held at the Department of Government Information, yesterday (09).

Speaking at the event, Director of the National Child Protection Authority, Attorney-at-Law and Sociologist Shanika Malalgoda stated that the Authority receives nearly 10,000 complaints relating to child abuse annually.

She said the need for such guidelines had arisen due to the increasing number of challenges affecting children's safety, including sexual abuse, cruelty, online threats, teenage pregnancies and drug use.

"Several factors have prompted the introduction of these guidelines in Sri Lanka. As you know, the National Child Protection Authority receives nearly 10,000 complaints relating to child abuse annually. Today, the issues affecting children are not limited to sexual abuse and cruelty. New challenges have emerged, including threats to children's safety in cyberspace, teenage pregnancies and the risks associated with drug use. In some instances, individuals also make mistakes due to a lack of awareness. However, these actions ultimately affect children's safety. Therefore, ensuring the responsibility of every citizen is essential, and this is one of the key objectives of these guidelines," she said.

Meanwhile, Senior Information Security Engineer at the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT), Charuka Damunupola, said there had been a significant increase in complaints concerning online abuse involving children.

He revealed that 53 highly sensitive incidents involving children in the online and digital media space were reported in 2025, while the figure had risen to 180 by November this year.

He noted that social media exposure and the use of children's content to generate income through monetisation features had contributed to the growing risks, with some parents also sharing such content without being fully aware of the potential consequences.

"Fifty-three highly sensitive incidents involving children in the online and digital media space were reported in 2025. This figure has increased to 180 by November this year. These are extremely serious incidents involving children in the online and digital media environment. When we examine these cases, we see a direct link between social media exposure and children becoming victims of such crimes. We have also observed a recent increase in these incidents alongside the introduction and expansion of monetisation features on social media platforms. 

“As a result, children's content is increasingly being used to generate income, sometimes even by their own parents. This can have a significant impact on children, often without their parents realizing the potential harm," he said.