Activities per year
Abstract
Online child sexual abuse encompasses a range of offenses including the accessing, downloading, sharing and creating of images of child sexual abuse, often referred to as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). CSAM consumption has increased exponentially, and the lockdowns implemented as a response to COVID-19 have exacerbated this problem. CSAM offenders are more likely than other sex offenders to be married, to have children and to live with a partner and child(ren). Policy, practice and research has largely considered these families within the context of their protective properties, with little consideration for the individual and collective harms that they experience, and their unique support needs. Using data from 20 interviews with family members of those convicted of CSAM offenses in the UK, we propose seven key elements that characterize the impacts of CSAM offending on non-offending family members. We categorize these as: 1) Disenfranchised Grief; 2) Ambiguous Loss; 3) Ontological Assault; 4) Contamination by Causal Responsibility; 5) Wall of Silence; 6) No-Win Situation, and 7) Burden of Responsibility. We propose policy and practice responses to minimize these harms.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 915-941 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | Victims and Offenders |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 15 Feb 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2024 |
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Dive into the research topics of '“We’re not allowed to have experienced trauma. We’re not allowed to go through the grieving process” - Exploring the indirect harms associated with Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) offending and its impacts on non-offending family members'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.-
Sharing Best Practice and Multi-Sector Collaboration to Mitigate Harms and Provide Support for Families of Individuals being Investigated for Online CSA Offences
Theresa Redmond (Speaker), Chemeana Lacey (Speaker), Lucy Roberts (Speaker), Rachel Armitage (Speaker), Adrian Thomas (Speaker), Nikki Ross (Speaker), Tom Scott (Speaker), Gemma Oxby (Speaker) & Cath Cox (Speaker)
20 May 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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Talking Forward (External organisation)
Rachel Armitage (Chair)
2021 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership of a Society or Institute
Press/Media
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BBC: Women's Hour - Anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, Comedian and author London Hughes, Dr Elise Inglis memorial, The Knock discussion
Rachel Armitage
15/09/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Other
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Research and new charity helping families cope with trauma of ‘the knock’
Rachel Armitage
25/05/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Coping with trauma of ‘the knock’
Rachel Armitage
23/05/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Research and new charity helping families cope with trauma of 'the knock'
Rachel Armitage
11/05/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Research and new charity helping families cope with trauma of ‘the knock’
Rachel Armitage
11/05/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research