Young people looking at phones

Self-generated child sexual abuse fieldwork findings report by PIER


"It's normal these days"

The phenomenon of self-generated child sexual abuse material (SG-CSAM) has escalated in recent years, driven by the proliferation of smartphone camera technology and increased internet accessibility. The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to prolonged periods of lockdown, further compounded this issue. Self-generated child sexual abuse material includes intimate or sexually explicit content created by and featuring minors, which can be shared either voluntarily or through coercion, grooming or blackmail. This report, funded by the Oak Foundation and conducted in collaboration with the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), aims to build an evidence base to inform targeted prevention campaigns. The primary objectives were to investigate effective public awareness campaigns, design and deliver targeted public campaigns and evaluate their effectiveness in educating children, parents, carers and educators about self-generated child sexual abuse material. 

Policing Institute for the Eastern Region

Social media's intrinsic role in the lives of young people necessitates a thorough understanding of the challenges they face online. This project emphasises the importance of incorporating the perspectives of children, young people, parents and educators in developing sensitive and effective responses to self-generated child sexual abuse material. By exploring how children and young people perceive, understand and navigate these issues, the report seeks to highlight the complexity and gravity of self-generated child sexual abuse material. It underscores the need for campaigns that do not merely focus on abstinence but also address safe sharing practices and the realistic contexts in which children and young people operate online. The research findings presented in this report mark the culmination of the project's research phase, aiming to contribute to a more informed and responsive approach to safeguarding young people in the digital age.

Recent IWF News

AI giving offenders ‘DIY child sexual abuse’ tool, as dozens of child victims used in AI models, IWF warns MPs

AI giving offenders ‘DIY child sexual abuse’ tool, as dozens of child victims used in AI models, IWF warns MPs

The IWF has welcomed upcoming new legislation while giving evidence in Parliament this week.

28 March 2025 News
IWF and Black Forest Labs join forces to combat harmful AI-generated content

IWF and Black Forest Labs join forces to combat harmful AI-generated content

Partnership grants the frontier AI lab access to safety tech tools.

26 March 2025 News
Online Safety Act: UK Tech Companies must now Tackle Illegal Harms including Child Sexual Abuse Imagery

Online Safety Act: UK Tech Companies must now Tackle Illegal Harms including Child Sexual Abuse Imagery

As Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Codes come into force, platforms are required to implement robust measures to protect users from CSAM and illegal content.

17 March 2025 News
Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect

Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect

Peter Kyle visited the IWF to see for himself the scale, and severity, of online sexual abuse against children

17 March 2025 News
Surge in use of ‘game-changing’ Report Remove service

Surge in use of ‘game-changing’ Report Remove service

Child protection analysts have seen a significant rise in reports from children accessing the world-leading Report Remove service run by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the NSPCC’s Childline service.

10 March 2025 News
IWF appoints Kerry Smith as new CEO

IWF appoints Kerry Smith as new CEO

Ms Smith, who is currently CEO at Human Rights charity, the Helen Bamber Foundation, takes over from Interim CEO Derek Ray-Hill, and will be in post in June.

6 March 2025 News