Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is widely available online. Existing research indicates that the parents and parental figures of victims are notably represented in offender populations. However, there is limited research in this area. Drawing on Australian media and legal databases, this study created a database of 82 cases of CSAM production and distribution perpetrated by parents and/or parental figures from 2009 to 2019. The study found that perpetrators are most often the male parental figures of the victims, and victims are predominately girls under nine years of age. The findings reveal distinct patterns and scenarios of parental CSAM offending that may inform prevention, early intervention and improved responses to victims. The study documented the significant impact of parental CSAM offending on victims and the need for specialist victim support.
References
URLs correct as at February 2024
Australian Federal Police 2018. Annual report 2017–2018. Canberra: Australian Federal Police
Binford W, Giesbrecht-McKee J, Savey JL & Schwartz-Gilbert R 2015. Beyond Paroline: Ensuring meaningful remedies for child pornography victims at home and abroad. Children's Legal Rights Journal 35(2): 117–162. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2481515
Bromfield LM & Higgins DJ 2004. The limitations of using statutory child protection data for research into child maltreatment. Australian Social Work 57(1): 19–30. DOI: 10.1111/j.0312-407X.2003.t01-1-00110.x
Brown R & Bricknell S 2018. What is the profile of child exploitation material offenders? Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 564. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi564
Bursztein E, Clarke E, DeLaune M, Eliff DM, Hsu N, Olson L et al. 2019. Rethinking the detection of child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. Paper presented at the World Wide Web Conference
Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP) 2017. Survivors’ survey: Executive summary. Winnipeg: CCCP. https://protectchildren.ca/en/resources-research/survivors-survey-results/
Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP) 2016. Child sexual abuse images on the internet: A Cybertip.ca analysis. Winnipeg: CCCP. https://www.protectchildren.ca/en/resources-research/child-sexual-abuse-images-report/
ECPAT International & Interpol 2018. Towards a global indicator on unidentified victims in child sexual exploitation material. Bangkok: ECPAT International
Gewirtz-Meydan A, Walsh W, Wolak J & Finkelhor D 2018. The complex experience of child pornography survivors. Child Abuse & Neglect 80: 238–248. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.03.031
Goodman-Brown TB, Edelstein RS, Goodman GS, Jones DPH & Gordon DS 2003. Why children tell: A model of children’s disclosure of sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect 27(5): 525–540
Goodman-Delahunty J 2014. Profiling parental child sex abuse. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 465. https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi465
Henshaw M, Ogloff JR & Clough JA 2017. Looking beyond the screen: A critical review of the literature on the online child pornography offender. Sexual Abuse 29(5): 416–445
Itzin C 2001. Incest, paedophilia, pornography and prostitution: Making familial abusers more visible as the abusers. Child Abuse Review 10: 35–48. DOI: 10.1002/car.649
Keller MH & Dance G 2019. The internet is overrun with images of child sexual abuse. What went wrong? New York Times, 28 September
Pratley J & Goodman-Delahunty J 2011. Increased self-disclosure of offending by intrafamilial child sex offenders. Sexual Abuse in Australia and New Zealand 3(1): 10–22
Robertiello G & Terry KJ 2007. Can we profile sex offenders? A review of sex offender typologies. Aggression and Violent Behavior 12(5): 508–518
Salter M 2013a. Organised sexual abuse. London: Glasshouse/Routledge
Salter M 2013b. Grace’s story: Prolonged incestuous abuse from childhood into adulthood. Violence Against Women 19(2): 146–165. DOI: 10.1177/1077801213476459
Seto MC 2019. The motivation-facilitation model of sexual offending. Sexual Abuse 31(1): 3–24. DOI: 10.1177/1079063217720919
Seto MC, Buckman C, Dwyer RG & Quayle E 2018. Production and active trading of child sexual exploitation images depicting identified victims. Alexandria, VA: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children & Thorn
Yin RK 2009. Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage