About our project

Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

We want to know what survivors think, feel and understand about how organisations use, and re use images, recordings, text or any other material depicting child sexual abuse.

Our team of researchers - with your help - is finding out.

The project is funded by the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse and is a collaboration between the AiLECS lab at Monash University and the Bravehearts Foundation. We recognise the importance of incorporating the voices of the victims and survivors throughout the project, on topics such as ongoing impacts of CSAM; re-traumatisation; and systems and approaches to working with victims and survivors. While previous research has examined these elements, it has not generally considered victim and survivor perspectives, knowledge and understanding, around how organisations and institutions use, and re use CSAM.

Our project will lead to a better understanding of how to balance the weight of benefits that derive from institutional uses of CSAM against trauma risks or other impacts that might arise as a consequence of institutional retention, use, and sharing of such material.

Through a participatory approach, we prioritise the voices of victims and survivors to create robust, high quality research outcomes which support recommendations to help guide organisations in their use of CSAM in a way that supports the needs and views of victims and survivors.

Read more about the project activites and outcomes.