BLOG POST
This blog post was written by Protect Children interns Cayla Miller and Emma Corrêa de Mora who are contributing to our ongoing work to understand and prevent childhood sexual violence.
Language plays a central role in human communication and expression, influencing both our perception of the world and that of others. Because language can be manipulated to serve particular interests, it is essential to crucially examine how it is used when discussing child sexual abuse and exploitation. Awareness of how terminology shapes understanding is important to ensure that the protection of children is effective.
The terms we use are the linguistic representations of concepts, shaping the way in which we construct and perceive problems, prioritise issues, and shape responses. [1] That is why it is crucial for experts to understand the meanings of terms when applying them. [2] In discussions surrounding child sexual abuse and exploitation, the vocabulary must be respectful to the victims, and should not minimise the severity of the crime. It should also refrain from contributing to stigmatisation or re-victimisation. [2]
In the absence of consensus and clear guidelines on which terms to use, maintaining international cooperation, adapting consistent laws and policy responses, and ensuring data consistency becomes more challenging. [1][3] In the worst-case scenario, using inaccurate or inappropriate terms can cause harm to victims by perpetuating stigma and leading to inadequate legal responses. It may also discourage victims from coming forward and seeking help. [1]
The term ‘child pornography’ is commonly used in national legislation and international treaties, [4][5] but it gives the false impression that a child is willingly involved in creating pornographic material. As pornography in many societies is a legitimate industry that relies on the consent of its participants, this term is inappropriate when referring to child sexual abuse and exploitation. [2] Therefore, replacing it with ‘child sexual abuse/exploitation material’ (CSAM/CSEM), emphasises the abusive nature of the content and avoids any implication of consent. [1] Terms like ‘kiddy porn’ and ‘violent baby porn’ are sometimes used by the media for shock value, but they risk distorting the public’s understanding of the crime. [2]
The same reasoning applies to the terms ‘child prostitution’ and ‘child sex worker’, which implies that the child is participating by choice. Since a child cannot legally consent to such activities, this term is both misleading and inappropriate. Instead, it is recommended to use ‘exploitation of children in/for prostitution’, so as to emphasise the exploitative nature of the act and prevent victim-blaming. [1]
It is not always straightforward whether the use of a term is appropriate in describing sexual violence against a child. [6] A term may appear to describe a form of sexual violence or relevant factor relating to that violence, but have further unintended implications. An example of this is the use of the term ‘self-generated sexual content or material’. The risk in using this terminology is that it may imply the child is in some way blameworthy for the abuse. [6] This term is used to refer to material produced by children themselves that then may be used for extortion purposes or disseminated online or offline to the harm of that child. Consequently, it is important how this terminology is used and that adequate consideration is given to the relevant context of the production of this material.
The term ‘sextortion’ has been used to describe a form of coercion in which victims are compelled to perform financial or behavioural demands, using the threat of sharing or exposing sexual images of the victims. [7][8] This term has been increasingly used by the media, in policy, and in academic literature. [8] It quite literally shortens the phrase “sexual extortion”. ‘Sextortion’ can be described as an accurate description of the type of behaviour occurring. However, with the significant increase in reports of sexual extortion and the harmful impacts of this form of sexual violence, it should be questioned whether this term appropriately conveys the seriousness of the violation occuring. [7] As previously emphasised, terminology plays an important role in how problems are conceptualised, prioritised and responded to. [1] ‘Sextortion’ seems to describe this abuse in an almost trivialising way and poses the risk of an oversimplified conceptualisation of this form of sexual violence.
The absence of consistent and universal terminology, coupled with excessive room for interpretation, complicates the implementation of protective measures across various legal systems. [1] The European Commission has proposed amendments to the current Directive 2011/93/EU on combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography, which include revisions to the terminology used. [9] Translating terms into different languages with a solid conceptual understanding can enhance the accuracy of translations and streamline the process, making it more efficient and less resource-demanding. [1]
Clear consistency in the use of terminology used to describe sexual violence against children is important to ensure harmonised implementation of protective and preventative measures. In selecting the terms that are used, careful consideration must be given to the implications of such terms to ensure they do not imply blameworthiness of the child victims. Furthermore, the way in which the terms are used holds significance. Academics, law and policy makers should be aware of whether additional implications are created through the way in which the terminology is applied. Ultimately, in conceptualising child sexual violence, the best interests of the child should be central and the seriousness of this form of violence maintained.
References:
[1] Grejjer, S & Doek, J. (2016) Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. Interagency Working Group in Sexual Exploitation of Children.
[2] Frangež, D., Klančnik, A. T., Kare, M. Ž., Ludvigsen, B., Kończyk, J., Perez, F. R., Veijalainen, M., & Lewin, M. (2015) The Importance of Terminology Related to Child Sexual Exploitation. Revija za kriminalistiko in kriminologijo, (66), 4.
[3] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ‘Cybercrimes Convention - Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Including CSAM’ (2019).
[4] Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (adopted 25 May 2000, entered into force 18 January 2002).
[5] Res A/RES/54/263 and Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) CETS No. 201.
[6] Interagency Working Group in Luxemburg (2016), ‘Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse’.
[7] Ray, A., & Henry, N. (2024) Sextortion: A Scoping Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.
[8] Wolak, J,. Finkelhor, D., Walsh, W., & Treitman, L. (2018). Sextortion of Minors: Characteristics and Dynamics. Journal of Adolescent Health 62.
[9] Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast).