Gap Analysis of Services for Victims and Survivors of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Canada

Introduction

Research has established that online CSEA results in a complex set of harms, which have the potential to affect victims across their lifespan. The literature describes these harms as they relate to having, or to the potential to have, digital images circulating indefinitely, which adds a unique dimension to sexual abuse (Martin, 2014; Martin, 2015). Specifically, the abuse is ongoing, with an uncertain scope of distribution (Martin, 2014). Victims fear the images have been or can be viewed by offenders at anytime, anywhere in the world for their own sexual gratification (Palmer, 2005, 2015). They might fear the images will be viewed by people in their lives, or by anyone the victim may encounter. Sometimes the victim is confronted, or fears being confronted, with a visual record of their own sexual abuse (Canadian Center for Child Protection, 2016; Gewirtz-Meydan, Walsh, Wolak & Finkelhor, 2018; Leonard, 2010; Martin, 2014, 2015; Ost, 2016; Slane, 2015).

In March 2018, Public Safety Canada held consultation sessions with multiple stakeholders across Canada to discuss the need for an updated and modernized National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet (National Strategy). Partners under the Strategy include the Department of Justice Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P). The National Strategy aims to provide a coordinated approach to online CSEA, by supporting online CSEA research and providing overall coordination, oversight, and training for professionals in the various sectors involved in combating these crimes and supporting victims.

Some of the challenges raised in these consultation sessions included: the lack of comprehensive connection between people who have created prevention and awareness resources; the small evidence base (or lack of an evidence base) to guide effective services; and the lack of sustainable funding for service providers.

The Social Work Policy Institute (SWPI) is a think tank established within the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation. According to the SWPI (2010), "Evidence-based practice is a process in which the practitioner combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience, ethics, client preferences, and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services" (para. 1). A comprehensive evidence base regarding online CSEA needs to be developed from rigorous research that validates the efficacy of specific approaches to support services (i.e., methods and approaches that provide a range of services for victims of online CSEA and have been scientifically verified as effective). This research needs to include the evaluation of existing methods and approaches, which likely require modification for victims of online CSEA, because without modifications they could be ineffective or even harmful (Leonard, 2010; Martin, 2014, 2015; Palmer, 2005; Svedin, 2009).

In an effort to demonstrate the government’s commitment to countering online CSEA, a list of high priority initiatives was identified for possible inclusion in a renewed CSEA strategy. A victim support gap analysis was amongst these prioritized initiatives. The purpose of this project was to research and document existing specialized services for child victims (children and youth up to the age of 18 years) and adult survivors of online child sexual exploitation (CSEA) and in doing so, identify gaps in services.

This report is structured as follows. First, it sets out the methodology employed to gather data on services available in Canada for victims of online CSEA and their families, and gaps in those services. Next, it describes the findings arising from this data collection, according to the three sources investigated: a brief literature review, a web scan, and a series of substantive interviews with Canadian service providers. The report concludes by identifying gaps and research recommendations.