The peer-reviewed article “Risk Factors for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Users Contacting Children Online: Results from an Anonymous Multilingual Survey on the Dark Web” was published today in the Stanford Internet Observatory’s Journal of Online Trust & Safety (available here: https://tsjournal.org/index.php/jots/issue/current). Authored by Protect Children specialists Tegan Insoll, Anna K. Ovaska, and Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, together with Professor Mikko Aaltonen and Dr. Juha Nurmi, the article is the first scientific article based on Protect Children’s dark web research through the End Violence Against Children funded ReDirection project. Protect Children’s innovative research asks individuals searching for CSAM on the dark web about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Data collection began in December 2020 and has since amassed over 15,000 respondents.
Protect Children has recently been awarded as a 2022 Child10 Awarded Member for bold, tireless, and impact driven work to protect children from sexual violence. Their work has been acknowledged by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden, in a special appearance during the Child10 award ceremony.
“In the face of ever-increasing prevalence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation, we must do everything we can to protect children. The findings of our research provide a scientific basis for urgent action to strengthen the fight to protect children.” says Tegan Insoll, Specialist & Researcher at Protect Children.
Insoll et al. (2022) found that “many online CSAM users directly approach children online after viewing CSAM/illegal violent material [42%]. An even larger share of CSAM users self-report that they are afraid that their use of CSAM may lead to sexual acts against a child or another human [58%].” The academic study confirms what was already known – that those who consume CSAM are also a danger to children through online grooming.
“The findings of the unprecedented research reiterate what every victim of sexual violence and everyone working to uphold and protect the rights of the child already knew: CSAM must be removed from the internet” states Anna Ovaska, Deputy Manager, Legal Specialist at Protect Children. “Now we have scientific research to demonstrate the urgency we face, and this is powerful when presented to decision-makers” she continues.
The article found that certain factors were associated with a higher likelihood of the CSAM user having contacted children online, including more frequent use of CSAM (e.g. daily or weekly as opposed to monthly or occasionally), viewing more extreme material (e.g. material depicting toddlers and infants), and being in contact with other CSAM users.
Chloe Setter, Head of Advocacy, Policy & Research at WeProtect Global Alliance, said: “In a recent global survey we found that one in three respondents reported being asked to do something sexually explicit online that they were uncomfortable with during childhood. This helps give us an indication of the level of risk that children now face in the digital world.” She also highlighted that “with the scale of child sexual abuse online growing at such high rates, the innovative ReDirection project is furthering our understanding about the behaviour of those individuals seeking out child sexual abuse material. This could prove key in shaping more efficient prevention systems.”
Protect Children calls for the proactive removal of CSAM through effective tools. Removing CSAM from the internet is of utmost importance to end the cycle of abuse and revictimization experienced by children each time their images are shared and viewed. From 2020 to 2022, Protect Children specialists have analysed over 800,000 individual images and videos through Project Arachnid, an innovative tool operated by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to combat the growing proliferation of child sexual abuse. Protect Children’s significant contribution has led to more than 550,000 requests to delete pictures to online services and site operators nationally and internationally.
“Technology companies must prioritize the rights of the child and we need to use the most efficient tools like Project Arachnid for notice and takedown of CSAM.” says Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, Executive Director of Protect Children.
It is also essential to provide resources for offenders who want to change their behaviour and stop viewing child sexual abuse materials. Protect Children’s research has found that over 50% of CSAM users want to stop using CSAM, but many say that they do not have adequate tools to help them stop. The ReDirection Self-Help Program was developed as a low-threshold resource for individuals who want to stop using CSAM. Preliminary user feedback suggest that the program is effective - 60% said that their use of CSAM has decreased, or they have completely stopped using CSAM since starting the ReDirection Self-Help Program.
Additional information:
Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen Executive Director, Senior Specialist, Psychotherapist +358 40 747 8829 |
Tegan Insoll Researcher & Specialist +358 40 610 2000 |
Protect Children (Suojellaan Lapsia ry.) Protect Children is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation that focuses on the prevention of sexual harassment, solicitation, and sexual violence against children. Our work complies with international agreements on the rights of the child and the National Action Plan for Non - Violent Childhood (2020-2025). More information about our work can be found at www.protectchildren.fi
© Koodiviidakko Oy - Y-tunnus 1939962-1