By: Emma Konn
CSAM is a Form of Exploitation:
CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material), formerly known as Child Pornography, is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (a person less than 18 years old.) CSAM is much more than photos and videos; it is a form of exploitation and abuse documented and shared across the internet in perpetuity. Every time an image is viewed, shared, paid for, or downloaded, the child is being re-victimized and a crime takes place, which is why it falls under human trafficking statutes.
As a category of exploitation, CSAM falls within the framework of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). CSEC is a form of child abuse and sexual exploitation for which the CAC receives referrals and coordinates a multidisciplinary response to support affected children.
Self-Generated CSAM:
As technology has evolved, so has the behavior of children growing up in the digital age. Daily online activity has become the norm, leading to the normalization of certain behaviors, including sexting. This shift has contributed to the rise in self-generated CSAM, sexually explicit content that is created by and features minors.
Around 1 in 6 teens have sent an image of themselves to someone else. Learn more about the insights of sexting.
There are three primary contexts of self-generated CSAM: Sexting, Sharing Explicit images of others without their consent, and Sextortion.
- Sexting
Sexting is sending Sexual Images or Messages with an Electronic Device. While increasingly normalized in digital culture, many youth are unaware of the legal implications. Sending or receiving sexually explicit pictures of a person under age 18 is dissemination of CSAM, even when the pictures are of yourself. It is illegal to take them, share them, or possess them.
- Sharing Explicit Images of others without their consent
This occurs when minors share explicit images of peers(friends, partners, or ex-partners) without their consent. In some cases, these images are distributed within group chats or in other online capacities.
- Sextortion
Sextortion is a form of coercion or blackmail where an individual threatens to release explicit images or information unless the victim complies with demands, which may be sexual in nature. Although not all sextortion cases involve self-generated content, many do, especially when minors are manipulated into creating and sending explicit images of themselves under threat.
The Importance of Education:
Early education about bodily autonomy, boundaries, and online safety is vital, even before puberty. A 2018 study titled “Towards a Global Indicator on Unidentified Victims in Child Sexual Exploitation Material” found that, “Where the unidentified victim’s age could be determined, 56.2 percent of cases depicted prepubescent children”.
Children are being exposed to technology and the internet at increasingly younger ages, often before they fully understand the implications of their actions online. Teaching children about the risks and boundaries related to sharing images or personal information online can significantly reduce vulnerability and help them navigate the digital world safely.
Ultimately, prevention starts with knowledge. Proactive, early education is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect children from exploitation and harm in today’s digital world.
Resources for if CSAM does get out:
Take it Down– https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/
“Take It Down is a free service that can help you remove or stop the online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken of you when you were under 18 years old. You can remain anonymous while using the service and you won’t have to send your images or videos to anyone.”
CyberTip Line– https://report.cybertip.org/
“NCMEC’s CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. The public and electronic service providers can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet.”
Zero Abuse Project– https://zeroabuseproject.org/resources/
“Zero Abuse Project is working to eliminate child sexual abuse in all of its forms.”
More about CSAM– https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/csam
Goes over CSAM, the data, what NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) are doing, support surrounding CSAM cases, and prevention.
Sources:
“Learn about Sexting.” Internet Matters, 22 Jan. 2025, www.internetmatters.org/issues/sexting/learn-about-sexting/.
ECPAT, and Interpol. Towards a Global Indicator on Unidentified Victims in Child Sexual Exploitation Material-Summary Report. ECPAT International, 2018, https://ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TOWARDS-A-GLOBAL-INDICATOR-ON-UNIDENTIFIED-VICTIMS-IN-CHILD-SEXUAL-EXPLOITATION-MATERIAL-Summary-Report.pdf. Accessed 2025.