REPORT
Knowledge to Prevent Online Sexual Violence Against Children: Insights from a Survey of Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenders
A ground-breaking report, Knowledge to Prevent Online Sexual Violence Against Children: Insights from a Survey of Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenders, has been released as part of the 2KNOW project, an EU-funded initiative led by Protect Children in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland and the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
Authored by Tegan Insoll, Eva Díaz Bethencourt, Anna K. Ovaska, Dr. Hanna-Mari Lahtinen, and Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, the report offers unprecedented insights into the backgrounds and motivations of individuals committing offenses related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Through a comprehensive survey, the study aims to shed light on the pathways that lead to such criminal behaviour, with the ultimate goal of developing more effective prevention strategies. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions that address the root causes of online sexual violence against children.
By gaining a better understanding of the offenders' perspectives, the project seeks to inform policymakers, the tech industry, and civil society about the most effective ways to prevent and tackle online sexual violence against children. The research emphasises the urgent need for prevention measures, including the development of perpetration prevention programs, interventions by tech platforms, and robust legislation to protect the safety and wellbeing of children globally.
Key Findings of the Report
Motivations to Use CSAM
A sexual interest in children is identified as the main reason behind viewing CSAM, alongside other factors like emotional self-regulation needs and desensitisation to pornography.
Use of Adult Pornography
Victim Demographics
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Criminal History
Possibility to Change
About the 2KNOW project
The study, which is conducted as a part of the project Knowledge to Prevent (2KNOW) has been produced with the financial support of the European Commission’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) Programme (2022). The project is led by Protect Children, with the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the University of Eastern Finland as partners. Project 2KNOW aims to support and improve national and international data collection on violence against children by developing a sustainable and replicable data collection model that is suited to gathering information about online violence against children.
The 2KNOW project has been produced with the financial support of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) Programme (2022) of the European Union. The contents herein are the sole responsibility of project partnership and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.
