Interest in preventing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offending is growing. A variety of initiatives have been proposed, including the use of warning messages triggered by keyword searches. An under-explored question is how the public might perceive such initiatives. Existing research reveals that the public holds very negative views about individuals labeled ‘sex offenders’ and ‘pedophiles’. Yet, little is known about how the public views individuals who commit CSAM offenses. This study explores the beliefs of 491 young adult Internet users toward a hypothetical novice-user of CSAM. Using thematic analysis, five key themes are identified. Informed by this analysis, implications for introducing prevention initiatives are discussed.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	child sexual abuse material, prevention, offenders, public views, warning messages
Research Division:	Law and Legal Studies
Research Group:	Law in context
Research Field:	Criminal law
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Justice and the law
Objective Field:	Law enforcement
UTAS Author:	Hunn, C (Ms Charlotte Hunn)
UTAS Author:	Prichard, J (Associate Professor Jeremy Prichard)
UTAS Author:	Cockburn, H (Dr Helen Cockburn)
ID Code:	142958
Year Published:	2021
Deposited By:	Office of the Faculty of Law
Deposited On:	2021-02-18
Last Modified:	2021-03-24
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