Two recent news reports in our statewide newspaper have highlighted a different kind of pandemic facing children and teens around the world – Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM):
- Former Dover AFB chief master sergeant pleads guilty to possessing child sex abuse images (delawareonline.com)
- Laurel School District employee, son of superintendent, fired, charged with child porn (delawareonline.com)
What exactly is CSAM?
You likely guessed from the headlines above and are more familiar with the previous vernacular: child pornography or “kiddie porn,” now disfavored.
Specifically, CSAM is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice as “any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old.” CSAM is the preferred term as it better describes the criminal nature of these acts and the trauma caused to the victims. It also eradicates the notion that children have somehow consented to their victimization.
But let’s be clear: possession, creation, exchange, transportation, and sale of CSAM are crimes – and worse, crimes against children.
Child sexual abuse material becomes boundless the moment it’s shared online or stored on hard drives, mobile devices, or in “the cloud.” Remember, the internet is a “world wide web,” where anything—I repeat, ANYTHING—can be shared and sold globally in virtual perpetuity.
Can you imagine being haunted by digital images of your own victimization from childhood, or even a “nude,” repeatedly and unexpectedly for the rest of your life? Its eternal nature makes this already traumatic crime even more unimaginable and excruciating because it is, in some respects, inescapable.
Unlike other criminal enterprises, such as drug trafficking, countless sellers can repeatedly sell the same product (CSAM) all around the world without end.
Sadly, just like any other business, the higher the demand for CSAM, the more child sexual abuse material will be created—and the more children will be harmed. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “From 2013 to 2021, the number of CyberTipline reports received by NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) [regarding CSAM and suspected online child exploitation] skyrocketed from 500,000 to almost 30 million.”
Even more concerning, child sexual abuse material has become more extreme and violent in recent years, according to Thorn (https://www.thorn.org/research/child-sexual-abuse-material-csam/). Its victims are typically extremely young, with more than half not yet reaching puberty (https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/csam#whoarethevictims).
We could not have fathomed the challenges and dangers of the digital age facing children and teens today.
Offenders are not just lurking in dark alleys or circling neighborhoods in unmarked vans with tinted windows. They are in neighborhood homes armed with laptops, smartphones, and tablets—creating, searching for, exchanging, and selling CSAM.
But what can we do?
First, supporting victims, survivors, and their families is paramount. In Delaware, suspected or known child sexual abuse and its material is always a mandatory report to the DFS Child Abuse Reporting Line: 800-292-9582.
Nationally, you can report CSAM to the CyberTipline online at report.cybertip.org or by calling 800-843-5678 (800-THE-LOST). If a child is not in immediate danger, an online report can be made at iseethesigns.delaware.gov. Additional information is available in this resource guide published by Delaware’s Child Protection Accountability Commission: resource_guide_mandatory_reporting_child_abuse_and_neglect.pdf (delaware.gov).
Prevention is key in stopping these crimes and interrupting trade. When children are educated and prepared to face possible perils, they have the tools they need to stay safe.
Prevent Child Abuse Delaware (PCAD) is committed to stopping all forms of abuse. For 46 years, PCAD has supported parents and educated children about personal body safety, preventing child sexual abuse, and skills to avoid or disclose abuse.
While it’s not a child’s job to prevent abuse, children urgently need to be equipped with the knowledge and tools to recognize and avoid potentially harmful situations when they happen.
PCAD’s flagship program, B.E. S.M.A.R.T., can help. This research- and evidence-based personal safety program provides age-appropriate information about child abuse and neglect to pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade schoolchildren. The program teaches children to:
- Be Aware
- Express Feelings
- Stay Safe
- Make Good Choices
- Always Check First
- Rely on your Gut
- Talk and Tell
To learn more about PCAD, B.E. S.M.A.R.T., and access parent resources, visit PCADelaware.org. Request or advocate for B.E. S.M.A.R.T. in a school in your community by contacting your school’s principal or school district superintendent.
Finally, for individuals who feel urges to seek out CSAM or to commit acts of child sexual abuse, help and support are available. These urges are not healthy and can cause extraordinary pain throughout a victim’s life.
If you experience these thoughts, we strongly encourage seeking a therapeutic specialist or services at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (Resources for People Concerned About Their Own Sexual Thoughts and Behavior | Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse).
Other supports, such as Stop It Now, offer self-help pages (Worried About Your Own Thoughts And Behaviors | Stop It Now) and a confidential helpline (888-PREVENT) with an online chat feature.
Be a champion for children now by getting the help and support you need. It is our primary responsibility as adults to protect children from harm.