Effective child exploitation material (CEM) reduction requires policy and practice to be evidence informed. This project synthesised the current evidence across a range of disciplines that contribute to CEM reduction. This synthesis ascertained what is most effective (i.e., ‘what works, for whom, in what circumstances, in what respects and how’) as well as ‘what looks promising’.

Our research synthesis revealed that, despite exploring strategies across various disciplines, the reduction of CEM requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. Interestingly, we found a significant gap in evaluation evidence across these disciplines—most strategies had either not been evaluated or had undergone only limited evaluation. All strategies identified in our synthesis were validated by national experts through roundtable discussions.

Impact

Our findings underscore the need for further research to better understand the effectiveness of CEM reduction strategies. Nevertheless, we were able to draw valuable insights into how and why each strategy might work, and in what contexts. You can view our findings in the publications below:

Edwards, G., Christensen, L. S., Rayment-McHugh, S., & Jones, C. (2021). Cyber strategies used to combat child sexual abuse material. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 636, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.52922/ti78313 

Christensen, L. S., Rayment-McHugh, S., Prenzler, T., Chiu, Y.-N., & Webster, J. (2021). The theory and evidence behind law enforcement strategies that combat child sexual abuse material. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 23(4), 392-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/14613557211026935

Chief Investigators: Rayment-McHugh, S., Christensen, L., (co-leaders), McKillop, N., Moritz, D., Burton, K., Jones, C., Prenzler, T., Lacey D., & Edwards, G. in partnership with Queensland Police Service

Research Assistants: Duggan, M., & Walker, K.

Funding: Australian Institute of Criminology

Funding year: 2019-2020