Project outputs
We heard from survivors of child sexual abuse or exploitation whose lived experience includes knowledge that visual imagery or other content exists that depicts their abuse or exploitation (CSAM). During the course of the project we reflected on what we heard, and created outputs that, we hope, amplified those voices and lay the foundations for meaningful change in the sector.
Please feel free to share these outputs, and do contact us if you have any comments or questions.
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Engagement and Evaluation Strategy
From the earliest days of the project we wanted to make sure that our interactions with individuals and organisations were respectful, person-centred, and purposeful; and that we remained focused on the needs of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse with regard to research design, conduct, and outputs. To that end we started with an to guide the work, provide contexts for our Project Advisory Group, and explain our research approach to the various Ethics Review Boards to which we were answerable.
We include this strategy here to not only explain our approach, but also provide a basis for future work going forward.
- Citation
- Humphries, K., Lewis, A. ., Rolan, G. and Ronken, C. (2024) Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material - Engagement and Evaluation Strategy, Melbourne [Vic]: AiLECS Lab, Monash University.
Download the Engagement and Evaluation Strategy.
Literature Review
As a first step in the project we conducted a review of academic literature and other publications in the sector to check our understanding of the issues surrounding insitutional retention and use of CSAM. In particular we sought other studies that may have touched upon the questions that we wanted to ask of victims and survivors. Although the amount of victim an survivor lived-experience research is growing, we could not find any significant work that specificly sought these perspectives on the matter. Accordingly, we proposed that better outcomes can be achieved for children and adults who experience victimisation through CSAM if these perspectives are prioritised in ways that are supported by human-centred and trauma-informed research and practice.
We published our review in the International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy.
- Citation
- Ballin, M., Humphries, K., Lewis, A. ., Rolan, G. and Ronken, C. (2024) “Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material”, International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy. doi: 10.5204/ijcjsd.3581
Download the Literature Review.
Anonymous Survey
We invited victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to take our anonymous survey, whether or not CSAM was part of their lived experience. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about awareness and understanding of legally sanctioned use of CSAM by institutions to counter child sexual abuse. The survey attracted 87 victim and survivor respondents, who provided a range of viewpoints based on their lived experiences that provided a strong basis for our recommendations.
The survey was created with multiple-choice questions, together with opportunities for victims and survivors to add comments, clarifications, or explanations to their answers. This public report only contains analysis of the multiple-choice answers. In order to protect the anonymity and confidentiality of participants, we have not published the longer textual responses.
- Citation
- Humphries, K., Lewis, A. ., Rolan, G. and Ronken, C. (2024) Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material - Survey Statistical Report, Melbourne [Vic]: AiLECS Lab, Monash University.
Final Report
We conducted thirteen one-on-one interviews with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse where CSAM is part of the lived experience, as well as with a number of professionals having experience in organisations that use CSAM to counter abuse. Tother with the anonymous survey, we heard time and time again of the difficulties, barriers, and retraumatising effects of institutions in relation to the retention and use of CSAM. We have published the results of all of our activities in our final report.
This final report comprises two volumes. The first volume, Findings and Themes, brings together the voices and perspectives of victims and survivors, for the first time, to inform the Calls to Action and Recommendations detailed in the second volume. Both volumes of the report should be read together.
We propose six calls-to-action that are urgently needed to address the issues described by victims and survivors as well as 24 enabling recommendations for actioning these calls. We also describe a range of existing mechanisms that may have application to support implementation pathways. We have strived to strike a balance between aspirational calls to action, and more prescriptive or attainable recommendations that can be practically adhered to, bringing about transformational change in the sector.
- Citations
- Humphries, K., Lewis, A. ., Rolan, G. and Ronken, C. (2024) Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material - Final Report Vol 1 Findings and Themes, Melbourne [Vic]: AiLECS Lab, Monash University.
Humphries, K., Lewis, A. ., Rolan, G. and Ronken, C. (2024) Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material - Final Report Vol 2 Calls to Action And Recommendations, Melbourne [Vic]: AiLECS Lab, Monash University.
Download the Final Report Volume 1.
Download the Final Report Volume 2.
Project Evaluation
As described in the Engagement and Evaluation Strategy, we always intended to conduct a review of the project activities, to note what went well, and to understand what would need to be improved for future research. Throughout the course of the project we became increasingly aware of the desire of lived experience participants to engage with each other. The idea of on-line focus groups for communications design was greeted enthusiastically, which led to the possibility of an in-person workshop, again with unanimous support from the participants. The purpose of that event was to facilitate our identified lived experience participants meeting each other (many, for the first time), discuss their experiences in the project and to gather feedback on how we performed in our research project.
This final report provides an evaluation of the research project. It comprises two parts – the first being an evaluation of the project outcomes in the context of the project’s stated goals; and the second being a reflective description of outcomes from the victim and survivor in-person eventheld at the conclusion of the project.
- Citation
- Humphries, K., Lewis, A. ., Rolan, G. and Ronken, C. (2024) Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material - Project Evaluation Report, Melbourne [Vic]: AiLECS Lab, Monash University.