Stop it Now (an Offlimits initiative and part of 2PS Consortium) and the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children recently published their research into young offenders of (online) child sexual abuse.
The research on young offenders of (online) child sexual abuse
The research was carried out by Stop it Now and the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children.
Specifically, it focuses on offenders and potential offenders of child sexual abuse up until the age of 25 who contact Stop it Now. This includes individuals who view images of child sexual abuse material or have committed child sexual abuse.
With this research, both Stop it Now and the National Rapporteur want to gain insight into offenders and use this knowledge to develop early interventions to prevent child sexual abuse from being committed.
What results show about young offenders of (online) child sexual abuse
The research shows that almost half of the young (potential) offenders of child sexual abuse struggle with mental health problems, such as compulsive thoughts or feelings of depression. These issues play a role in (the lead-up to) potential offending behaviour.
Moreover, it is important to highlight that almost half of the young viewers of child sexual abuse material report risky porn viewing or an escalation in this behaviour. Kelly van den Heuvel, a Stop it Now policy officer and a member of the research team:
“Repeated exposure to pornographic materials leads these young people into a downward spiral. They start searching for increasingly extreme images to experience the same level of excitement and arousal.”
Furthermore, the research indicates that the offenders who contact Stop it Now need help with their behaviour. Van den Heuvel:
“Many young (potential) offenders share their story for the first time with Stop it Now. They fear a lack of understanding and judgement from the people around them and hence, most of them do not talk to anyone about their feelings, problems or offending behaviour. It is important to provide a safe environment in which they can talk about their feelings and behaviour. It increases the chances that more young people will seek help in the future before committing a crime.”
National Rapporteur Rijken adds: “The fact that these young (potential) offenders want help to prevent future offending behaviour offers a good starting point for preventive policies.”
Preventing online child sexual abuse
The research describes the circumstances preceding offending and the routes young people take towards (potential) offending behaviour.
“It gives Stop it Now and other organisations starting points to determine when and how to intervene. It is important that support and prevention match the needs of young (potential) offenders,” says Van den Heuvel. “They need information and education about safe, healthy and positive online sexual behaviour, as well as about when (online) sexual behaviour turns risky and/or illegal.”
In this regard, 2PS is developing a support platform for individuals who fear they might offend children. These services are not available in all countries and not all individuals who need help find their way to professional support services.
Stepto.support platform can make a difference in providing a safe space to search for help. In this way, we can help people to safely deal with their thoughts or behavior. Thereby, we can prevent CSA, which is our primary goal.
Read the English summary of the report ‘We have to talk about it. Research into young (potential) offenders of child sexual abuse” here.
2PS interview with the expert Kelly van den Heuvel from Stop it Now
To know more about the research, we interviewed the expert Kelly van den Heuvel from Stop it Now.
Watch and/or listen to the video interview here below.
