A global review of online CSEA studies shows the top 3 identified forms of harm to be child sexual abuse material, grooming and sexual solicitation
Nature of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA)
As technology becomes a larger part of the daily lives of children, the separation between in-person and online abuse is lessening. Technological changes and the ways in which users have adapted to those changes have led to studies looking into the trends of online use among children and the harms it poses to them. This review analysed 82 quantitative studies from the last ten years related to online CSEA identified on peer-to-peer networks (P2P), social media, online chatrooms and the dark web, to better understand the nature of these harms for children.
From 82 studies, the top three identified online CSEA harms were:
- producing, sharing and/or viewing Child Sexual Abuse Material
- online sexual solicitation
- online grooming
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
From the evidence, most adult perpetrated CSEA was found in relation to the sharing and distribution of CSAM. Most CSAM offenders are in possession of imagery of “pre-pubescent” children (13 years old or younger). This imagery also tends to depict acts of hands on and penetrative child sexual abuse. Abuse imagery of older children 14-17 is less commonly in the possession of CSAM offenders. This type of material is often found in addition to the material of younger children. Studies discussed the networks used by offenders to distribute and exchange CSAM online, which included:
- file sharing / peer to peer networks
- dark and clear web forums
- private messaging
The evidence also highlighted that harmful sexual behaviour of children and young people towards other children online has increased the amount of abuse imagery of older children. A recent study found that youth produced images are more common, such as those produced in online sexual solicitation or sexual extortion between young people.
Sexual solicitation
The research showed that children are encountering adults online who are engaging them in sexual conversations, which can develop into further requests by the adult, exploitative situations or even abuse. The initial sexual communication from the adult appears to be the first step in online child exploitation and abuse and this was identified within 17 studies from the evidence base.
Online grooming
Online grooming was identified across studies globally as one of the frequently occurring harms towards children online. ‘Grooming’ in the context of online child sexual exploitation and abuse, is the term used to describe the acts by adult or young offenders engaging with children online. These specific acts are an effort to create trust and compliance in order to sexually abuse and exploit children. The term encompasses the strategies used by offenders, including gift giving, secret keeping and providing children with otherwise restricted items.
Grooming tactics have been historically used by offenders, but the invention of the internet provides them with a new level of anonymity and a new set of tactics. What the research has shown is that offenders are using one or more elements of deception (e.g., misrepresentations of age, gender, or identity) to encourage the child to feel more secure when communicating with the offender. Offenders can attempt to portray peers, be a potential romantic interest, or deceive child users into thinking they are a known individual or celebrity to encourage the child to comply with their sexual exploitation.
This review provides important priority areas across different types of online CSEA for prevention and response, whilst also identifying understudied areas, including online CSEA among younger children.
More information
Stevenson, J., Krzeczkowska, A., Jacobetty, P., and Fry, D. A Scoping Review of the Nature of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. In Searchlight 2023 - Childlight's Annual Flagship Report. Childlight – Global Child Safety Institute: Edinburgh, 2023.
- Researchers: James Stevenson, Dr Anna Krzeczkowska, Dr Pedro Jacobetty and Prof Deborah Fry
- Registered Study Protocol: https://osf.io/eq3mc/