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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Child sexual abuse materials are rapidly increasing online, as is their use. The STOP-CSAM EU prevention project, under the auspices of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, has responded to these challenges by offering a novel therapeutic chat intervention. STOP-CSAM stands for Scalable Technology for Online Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse & Child Abuse Materials. Persons at risk are given the opportunity to interact with qualified therapists – anonymously and free of costs. The tool has meanwhile proved its success. Building on these achievements, a follow-up project is further expanding the perpetrator-focused prevention of child sexual abuse materials.
Following measurable success with the therapeutic chat assistance, researchers at Charité are stepping up their support for persons with a sexual attraction to children. The aim is to help them refrain from criminal behavior and develop healthy coping strategies for dealing with their particular preferences. The STOP-CSAM project, funded by the European Commission, was launched just under two years ago with the aim of preventing child abuse through sexualized images. Potential perpetrators were approached while searching for images online and referred to an online intervention service. There, they were given the opportunity to make appointments for interactive chats led by qualified therapists, which are offered in various languages.
The project team succeeded in reaching the largest group of people worldwide to date through such a targeted intervention. A total of 5,029 relevant individuals accessed the intervention application form. A total of 180 persons took part in four chat sessions each, while some of them also signed up for two booster sessions. Although the dropout rate was high, as expected – around half of participants left the study prematurely – the chat intervention resulted in a demonstrable reduction in the use of abusive images among the remaining participants.
Lowering the duration and intensity of use
"Based on the accompanying questionnaires, we were able to determine that the duration of the use of abuse materials was reduced by half on average after the anonymous online therapy sessions, while the images consumed in the following were also less drastic in terms of their content," as project leader Prof. Klaus Beier, director of the Institute for Sexuology and Sexual Medicine at Charité, stated. "This is definitely a success, because each instance of less use means that fewer crimes are committed and real damage to children is averted." The documented, anonymous chat histories were also evaluated in qualitative terms. The researchers observed a cyclical pattern of emotions, feelings and the consumption of abuse materials, similar to what is known from addiction disorders. A report summarising the project outputs is now available on the project website.
The TD-CHAT follow up project is now underway
Building on the findings of STOP-CSAM, the Troubled Desire self-help and the TD-CHAT chat study are now underway. Drawing on scientific methods, the overall concept of the Troubled Desire information and self-help platform are examined and tested. Those affected will find multilingual, low threshold and easily accessible self-help guides here. Free and anonymous chat sessions are also offered in a protected digital space, involving trained therapists who are bound to confidentiality.
TD-CHAT is continuing the work of STOP-CSAM and contributing to the further expansion of these successful prevention assistance offerings. Like its predecessor, TD-CHAT is also making global contributions to prevention, focusing on potential perpetrators. Researchers believe that exposure to abuse material lowers the threshold for real-life assaults. Consequently, prevention not only protects children who appear on images, but also the potential victims of child sexual abuse in everyday life.
About STOP-CSAM and TD-Chat
The STOP-CSAM project was carried out under the leadership of the Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine at Charité in cooperation with Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University (Portugal), the Technische Universität Berlin, the International University of Catalonia (Spain), and the National Institute of Mental Health (Czech Republic) and was funded by the European Commission.
TD-CHAT is implemented in collaboration with the International University of Catalonia (Spain). This project is enabled by Prevention Global, a joint initiative of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Abusive Imagery at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA) and the Royal Institute for Mental Health Research (Ottawa, Canada). The initiative is funded by the Oak Foundation.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus M. Beier
Director of the Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Email: info@troubled-desire.com
https://sexualmedizin.charite.de/en/
https://troubled-desire.com/en/
https://www.charite.de/en/service/press_reports/artikel/detail/working_to_preven...
https://stop-csam.charite.de/fileadmin/user_upload/microsites/m_cc01/sexualmediz...
Before it happens: Invitation to a therapy chat by way of the interactive chat tool.
Copyright: © Charité, STOP-CSAM | Peter Jeschke
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Before it happens: Invitation to a therapy chat by way of the interactive chat tool.
Copyright: © Charité, STOP-CSAM | Peter Jeschke
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