Screen Readers Skip to Content

Child Sexual Abuse Material Reduced After Online CBT

Author: Karolinska Institutet
Author Contact: ki.se/en
Published: 1st Dec 2022 - Updated: 5th Jan 2023
Peer-Reviewed Publication: Yes
Additional References: Sexuality Publications

Summary: The study analyzed internet-delivered anonymous, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for people who view images or videos of children being sexually abused.

Definition

Darknet

The term dark net or darknet originally described computers on ARPANET that were hidden, programmed to receive messages but not respond to or acknowledge anything, thus remaining invisible - in the dark. A darknet is an overlay network within the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorization and often uses a unique customized communication protocol. Two typical darknet types are social networks - usually used for file hosting with a peer-to-peer connection, and anonymity proxy networks such as Tor via an anonymized series of connections. Darknets also facilitate anonymous communication between whistle-blowers, activists, journalists, and news organizations through the use of applications such as SecureDrop.

Main Document

Effects of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on use of child sexual abuse material: A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the Darknet.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have conducted a pioneering study analyzing internet-delivered anonymous, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for people who view images or videos of children being sexually abused. The participants, who were mainly recruited via forums on the encrypted part of the internet called the Darknet, reported less use of such material after therapy. The study is published in the journal Internet Interventions.

"Our goal is to prevent the sexual abuse of children," says principal investigator Christoffer Rahm, chief psychiatrist at Psychiatry South Stockholm and research group leader at the Centre for Psychiatry Research and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. "Sadly, we see an increase in the spread of such material online, and current strategies to stem the trend are insufficient. Therefore, we wanted to test whether an anonymous internet-based therapy program, Prevent It, can make people stop using child sexual abuse material."

The spread of images and videos of children being sexually abused is a widespread problem. In 2021, almost 85 million files suspected to contain documented sexual abuse of children, legally referred to as child pornography, were reported to different tiplines around the world, an increase of about 30 percent from 2020, according to the USA's National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The material is often shared on the Darknet, an anonymous online environment within the "regular" internet that requires special browsers to get access. The encrypted nature of the Darknet makes it difficult for the police to identify perpetrators. At the same time, forum users are indicating that they are feeling distressed and, although wanting to cease their behavior, are unwilling to contact the care services out of shame and the fear of prosecution.

(Article continues below image.)

Illustration of a computer with multiple connection points around the world.Illustration of a computer with multiple connection points around the world.

(Continued...)

Recruited via Darknet

The researchers in the current study wanted to test if it was possible to overcome these obstacles by offering online-delivered anonymous CBT. For two and a half years, the researchers posted adverts and links on Darknet chats and discussion threads until a total of 160 participants from around the world had been recruited. The idea for the study came about after interviews with men with pedophilia who expressed a wish that they had received help earlier in life. The research was conducted in collaboration with experts in sexual medicine at Anova, Karolinska University Hospital, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, a patient representative, and children's rights organizations.

The participants (157 men, two non-binary and one without reported gender identity) were randomly assigned to either CBT treatment or a psychological non-CBT placebo group. CBT is a therapy whereby patients actively work on changing their behavior and thought patterns.

Over the eight weeks of the therapy, the participants were asked to report how much they viewed child sexual abuse material every week. The researchers then examined all the data collected during the treatment, including from individuals who only participated in parts of it, and analyzed how the change in viewing differed between the groups. The result showed that both groups reduced their viewing substantially, with a small but statistically significant advantage for the CBT group (effect size 0.18 according to Cohen's d, a way of measuring the difference between two means). Roughly half of the participants in both groups who submitted data at eight or twelve weeks reported not having viewed child abuse material during the preceding week.

Small Yet Significant Difference

"We saw a small yet significant difference between the two groups in favor of Prevent It," says Johanna Lätth, a doctoral student at the Centre for Psychiatry Research and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. "Ideally, we'd like to see the behavior cease completely, but the results give us hope that there's a feasible, effective, and safe way to treat these individuals. We believe it could be a valuable complement to other interventions that aim to prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children."

The participants in the Prevent It group were also more likely to report positive effects of the therapy than those in the placebo group, including feeling more hopeful and having access to more preventative tools.

The researchers note, however, that more participants dropped out of the Prevent It group - only 37 provided post-treatment data, compared to 50 in the placebo group - which may indicate that immediate behavioral change may be too difficult for some people. The placebo group was initially asked to reflect more upon their participation in the program, an approach the researchers want to test in combination with active therapy in future studies.

Updated Therapy Versions Being Tested

Updated therapy versions are now being tested for adults troubled by sexual urges involving children. The therapies will be offered internationally in English and other languages in eight countries. The participants are expected to be recruited from encrypted online forums and via adverts on search engines and social media. The police authorities in different countries will also be informing people suspected of sexual offenses against children of the possibility of taking part in the program.

About the Study

The study was funded by the World Childhood Foundation and the Swedish Society of Medicine. The EU and the Oak Foundation finance the follow-up studies. The researchers have not reported any conflicts of interest.

Publication:

"Effects of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on use of child sexual abuse material: A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the Darknet." Johanna Lätth, Valdemar Landgren, Allison McMahan, Charlotte Sparre, Julia Eriksson, Kinda Malki, Elin Söderquist, Katarina Görts Öberg, Alexander Rozental, Gerhard Andersson, Viktor Kaldo, Niklas Långström, Christoffer Rahm, Internet Interventions, online December 1, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2022.100590

References and Source(s):

Child Sexual Abuse Material Reduced After Online CBT | Karolinska Institutet (ki.se/en). SexualDiversity.org makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Content may have been edited for style, clarity or length.

Post to Twitter Add to Facebook

Latest Sexuality Publications

The above information is from our reference library of resources relating to Sexuality that includes:

Research Reveals Connection Between Partner's Gender and Women's Orgasm Expectations thumbnail image.
Study investigates factors influencing orgasm rates for women across sexual orientations.
Publish Date: 4th Apr 2024 - Updated: 5th Oct 2024
Sex Lives in Britain Revealed thumbnail image.
Study reveals the number of sexual partners we have changes as we age, and there are some surprising results.
Publish Date: 8th Sep 2023 - Updated: 14th Dec 2023
Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to all Creation thumbnail image
The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex: A delightful opportunity to watch things get weird and wild in the name of science and sex.
Publish Date: 14th Jun 2023
Survey Finds 1 in 15 Changed Reported Sexual Identity Over a Six-Year Period thumbnail image.
Report reveals over 6% of the UK population aged 16 and over, or 1 in 15, changed their reported sexual identity over a 6 year period.
Publish Date: 12th Jun 2023


1Transgender Reporting Guide
How to write about transgender people.

2Am I Gay? Questions to Ask
Think you may be gay or bisexual?

3Glossary of Sexuality Terms
Definitions of sexual terms & acronyms.

4LGBTQ+ Pride Flags
Symbols of Identity and Inclusion.

5LGBT Awareness Dates
Important LGBTQ community awareness days, remembrance dates, and coming pride events.

• Submissions: Send us your coming events and LGBTQ related news stories.


• Report Errors: Please report outdated or inaccurate information to us.



• (APA): Karolinska Institutet. (2022, December 1). Child Sexual Abuse Material Reduced After Online CBT. SexualDiversity.org. Retrieved November 8, 2024 from www.sexualdiversity.org/sexuality/1106.php


• Permalink: <a href="https://www.sexualdiversity.org/sexuality/1106.php">Child Sexual Abuse Material Reduced After Online CBT</a>