Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material

This literature review draws together literature describing how child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is currently used in institutional contexts – by police, courts, academic and policy researchers and private sector entities. In doing so, it reveals that there has historically been scant engagement with victims and survivors about such uses, and little research into the impacts of reuse for individuals who are depicted in CSAM. Despite the specificities of CSAM experience (as described by victims and survivors), and the recognised value of lived experience perspectives, inclusion of CSAM victim and survivor perspectives in research design and policies governing institutional reuse of this material is still a rarity. We hypothesise that better outcomes can be achieved for children and adults who experience victimisation through CSAM if these perspectives are prioritised in ways that are supported by humancentred and trauma-informed research and practice.