FROM SILENCE TO SAFE REPORTING: DESIGNING A TRUST-CENTRED DIGITAL SUPPORT PATHWAY FOR ADOLESCENTS IN UZBEKISTAN
Violence against children is widespread in Uzbekistan, yet children rarely report it themselves. Nearly two-thirds of children
aged 1–14 experience violent discipline, while only 44 of 1,064 complaints received by the Children’s Ombudsperson in
2024 were submitted by children. Although national law recognizes a child’s right to report violence directly and the 2026–
2030 Strategy provides for a state data-sharing platform, there is no practical, child-facing route connecting the two. Using
a qualitative multiple-case study, this paper compares digital and AI-supported child-protection tools in Central Asia, Europe
and the United States. Four conditions are examined: anonymity, freedom from surveillance, credibility and routing to a
person able to act. The analysis identifies the functions and safeguards required for a digital reporting channel in Uzbekistan
and proposes a phased pilot. The study does not establish that such a channel would reduce violence; that question requires
empirical testing.
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