Protection of children and adolescents in the digital age: a systematic review

Abstract

Children and adolescents are increasingly entering an online environment that significantly shapes their socialization, development, and learning. Expanded access to digital technologies has provided new educational and communication opportunities while also intensifying problems such as cyberbullying, cyber-grooming, and online sexual exploitation. In response to these challenges, different countries have structured policies to mitigate existing risks and ensure greater safety for this population.
In this sense, this study provides a systematic review of recent literature on online protection of children and adolescents, analyzing 21 articles published between 2024 and 2025. The research focuses on Brazil and Portugal, analyzing the main legislation concerning child and youth online protection. The studies examined indicate that, although there are regulations aimed at protecting children and adolescents, there are disparities in the practical implementation of these measures and difficulties in adapting them to new forms of online threats. In Brazil, the oversight of digital platforms faces structural challenges, meaning that child and youth protection often depends on fragmented actions between the public and private sectors. In Portugal, there is an alignment with European directives with efforts focused on regulatory standardization and accountability for tech companies. Nonetheless, both countries still face barriers in implementing effective policies, especially with regard to detecting cases of exploitation and responding quickly to them.