Notably, during the 2020 pandemic, UK law enforcement agencies estimated that around 300,000 known child sex offenders in the UK were under scrutiny for potential online activities, amplifying concerns about heightened risks to children spending more unsupervised time online. Some rampant methods of online exploitation of young people include:

• Harassing and bullying children and young people through text messaging
• Sharing the mobile numbers of vulnerable or groomed children among group or gang members
• Making random contacts with children and vulnerable teenagers via social networking sites
• Using ‘friends’ lists of victims on social media sites to target more children and young people
• Using imagery or video content of violent pornography and sharing it during sexual assaults
• Providing images of victims to rival gang members ^

Understanding the psychology behind this surge is critical. Research by Salter et al (2023) is unsettling: one in six men harbour a sexual interest in children, with a third admitting to offences, including online child sexual abuse. Ties have been established between early exposure to violent pornography, compulsive sexual behaviour, and an increased proclivity toward committing such crimes. Compounding this issue, discussions around pornography in adolescent therapy settings are largely absent, leaving young people ill-equipped to comprehend the gravity and implications of their online experiences. For example, Sexting may not be criminally motivated and can be consensual, but creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, even if the person doing it is a child. Children and young persons may be unaware that they are breaking the law.

The stigma and silence surrounding seeking help exacerbates this problem. Despite a reported 30 per cent of young people desiring assistance, the societal stigma attached to their predicament hinders access to necessary resources. The discourse around pornography in educational settings often creates a toxic narrative, further impeding avenues for help-seeking behaviour.

TA-CSA impacts a child or young person just as profoundly as offline CSA. The young people who are victimized experience:

• self-blame
• flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
• depression and low self-esteem
• nightmares and trouble sleeping
• anxiety and panic attacks
• self-harm
• problems at school, such as difficulty keeping up with work or behavioural problems
• Fear of sexual images being shared online or being viewed in the future

This cutting-edge workshop by renowned Online Harms Consultant Cath Knibbs seeks to shed light on technology-facilitated child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), distinguishing its nuances from non-online cases. It aims to equip attendees with tools to comprehend the traumatic implications of online abuse. Furthermore, it emphasizes the links between early exposure to pornography and a subsequent interest in children, providing guidance on identifying red flags during therapeutic engagements.

Specifically, the seminar delves into the landscape of online spaces accessed by young people, empowering professionals with assessment tools to identify safeguarding concerns.

Importantly, it addresses the often-overlooked aftermath of arrests, investigations, and court cases, offering insights into support systems sorely needed for affected family members, especially women and children. By amalgamating clinical insights, law enforcement processes, and practical case studies, it strives to arm professionals across all levels with the necessary acumen to comprehend, mitigate, and support against the harrowing impact of technology-facilitated child sexual abuse.

In essence, this training initiative delves into uncharted territory, offering a trauma-informed, psychological approach to comprehend and address the disturbing surge in online exploitation of children. The workshop stands as a beacon, illuminating the often-neglected facets of this complex issue, urging a collective effort to bridge knowledge gaps, dispel stigmas, and provide the much-needed support systems for those affected by this dire societal challenge. We will focus on understanding the full range of technologies that can be used to facilitate CSA and realising that abuse that happens online and offline are not entirely separate, and that the two can be entwined. This could mean that as therapists, we ask young people about the involvement of technology in abuse and offer them appropriate support after experiencing TA-CSA.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain what is technology facilitated child sexual abuse and how does this differ from real world cases?
• Explain the links between early exposure to the viewing of pornography and a sexual interest in children. What issues can a professional listen out for during the work with either young people or adults?
• Discuss the factors that may need to be considered when working with young people accessing the internet and what kinds of questions can be a part of the professional’s toolkit for assessments and safeguarding

*^ thurrocklscp.org.uk  

© nscience 2023 / 24