The groundbreaking new report, released as part of Project 2KNOW, reveals the intricate web of factors that drive online child sexual abuse offending. The report offers critical insights into the motivations, facilitators, situational factors, and barriers that influence individuals to engage in CSAM-related crimes.

The report leverages data collected from 4,549 anonymous child sexual abuse material offenders in the dark web via “Help us to know” survey in the period between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. It aims to uncover the complex interactions between motivations, facilitators, and situational factors that lead to the production and consumption of CSAM and examines the barriers that offenders perceive as effective in preventing their behaviour.

The ultimate goal of this report is to contribute to the development of effective measures to combat CSAM offending. This report is intended to serve as a resource for policymakers, researchers, law enforcement, and child protection professionals dedicated to protecting children.

The study, which is conducted as a part of the project Knowledge to Prevent (2KNOW) has been produced with the financial support of the European Commission’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) Programme (2022). The project is led by Protect Children, with the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the University of Eastern Finland as partners.