Alarming Facts about Child Pornography

Here is what I learned from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection

Consider watching this video called Lolli: The exhibit Nobody Wants to Talk about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgPap3wQnbA

Cybertips.ca is Canada's tipline for reporting the online exploitation of children

• Approximately 3,000 images are processed monthly

• In a study of 43,000 unique images and videos
  50% of these images involve sexual assault or extreme sexual assault against children

• 78% of the images are of prepubescent children under the age of 12; of those 68% were under 8 years of age.

• The younger the child, the more likely we are to see either a sexual assault or an extreme sexual assault being perpetrated against the child

• 80% of the victims in the images were female
  The majority of these images and videos (70%) appear to be taken in a home setting.

Let that sink in – in a home setting.

The creation and distribution of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) or Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) is a means of memorializing the abuse. It normalizes the behaviour among offenders globally.

And imagine, for one moment, what it would be like to be a survivor of CSA and to reach adulthood knowing there are images of your abuse potentially distributed all over the world. Take a deep breath with me. Take three.

So, how do we stop it?

Educate yourself on grooming behaviours. Be vigilant in your observations of the adults and the kids in your life. A person can be very likable, but it does not mean they are trustworthy. Knowing what grooming behaviours look like gives you the power to interrupt or disrupt concerning behaviour. It offers you an opportunity to intervene before things escalate-no need to judge. Observe, note any concerning behaviours in a child, youth or adult, and speak up.

If you're unsure what grooming behaviours look like or how you might address concerning behaviours, I invite you to review the resources page and take one of the many training opportunities offered.

If the speaking up part gives you the most anxiety, I invite you to contact an educator on the resource page. They can teach you simple and effective methods to share an observation that has you feel uncomfortable. Reporting concerning behaviour is not allegations of abuse. You can share your observations in a non-judgemental way.

If you consume pornography, report any image you suspect is of a minor (under the age of 18) and err on the side of caution. You can do this anonymously at Cypertips.ca. We've got committed citizens working together in Canada and abroad, tracking these images and doing all they can to protect children.

You can help stop the distribution of CSEM.