Event title: “We’re not allowed to have experienced trauma. We’re not allowed to go through the grieving process” - Exploring the indirect harms associated with Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) offending and its impacts on non-offending family members.

Date of event: Wednesday 7 June 2023

Event Time: 3.30-5pm

Speakers: 

• Professor Rachel Armitage (Criminology, University of Huddersfield)
• Professor Nadia Wager (Psychology, Teesside University)

Event Location: Hybrid event

• On-campus - Bartolome House (Moot Court) - School of Law, Winter Street, Sheffield S3 7ND
• Online - Joining links will be sent the day before the event

Whilst it is helpful if you use the Eventbrite to indicate in advance if you are attending, you are also very welcome to turn up in-person on the day of the event and without pre-booking. You will need to pre-book the online attendance though as we will need to know where to send the joining link.

The Centre for Criminological Research is pleased to host Professor Rachel Armitage (Criminology, University of Huddersfield) to discuss, “We’re not allowed to have experienced trauma. We’re not allowed to go through the grieving process” - Exploring the indirect harms associated with Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) offending and its impacts on non-offending family members.

Event abstract: Online child sexual abuse encompasses a range of offences including the accessing, downloading, sharing and creating of images of child sexual abuse, often referred to as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). CSAM consumption has increased exponentially, and the lockdowns implemented as a response to COVID-19 have exacerbated this problem. CSAM offenders are more likely than other sex offenders to be married, to have children and to live with a partner and child(ren). Policy, practice and research has largely considered these families within the context of their protective properties, with little consideration for the individual and collective harms that they experience, and their unique support needs. Using data from 20 interviews with family members of those convicted of CSAM offences in the UK, this presentation explores the harms experienced by the families of CSAM offenders and considers how these align or differ from the those experienced by families of other sexual offences. Consideration is given to the harms experienced by the children of those convicted, with a particular focus on the impact of a non-custodial sentence for a highly stigmatised offence.