Abstract

Recent years have seen a substantial increase in the number of individuals engaging in offences relating to the online use of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), to the point that UK police forces have stated that they “cannot arrest their way out of the problem”. Current movements are shifting the focus towards primary and secondary prevention efforts through public health campaigns, yet our knowledge of this typology of offending still remains somewhat limited. As such, a research project has been established to explore some of the remaining unanswered questions, for example, what are the motivations behind this type of offence?

This poster will showcase the research project, exploring demographic and psychological factors associated with CSEM offending. The investigation includes both detected and “undetected” users of CSEM recruited internationally from the UK’s justice system and Germany’s Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (treatment programme for people attracted to children and/ or adolescents). Data is based on self-report questionnaires assessing personality, sexuality and general wellbeing, early life experiences, sexual and relationship history, education and employment, and details of offending behaviour. The poster will present implications for the prevention, assessment, and management of individuals (including those at risk of) accessing CSEM.