(duplicate) Study on the Impact of Unwanted Sexual Experiences Online
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the Psychological Impact of Online Child Sexual Abuse (OCSA) on Young People
IRAS ID
304243
Contact name
Sandra Bucci
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary
In the past decade, the rates in online child sexual abuse (OCSA) have increased exponentially. Ospina, Harstall & Dennet (2010) reported that 13% to 19% of youth have experienced online sexual solicitation. As of 2020, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children reports 69 million images and videos related to child sexual exploitation and abuse, marking a 50% increase from last year. The main purpose of this research is to allow for a victim perspective of the psychological impact of OCSA, with the aim of informing intervention methods. This project defines OCSA as pertaining to online grooming and online sexual abusive material (i.e. images and video recordings). The yearlong study aims to recruit up to 30 participants, aged 16-25. The minimum age limit corresponds to the legal age of consent for young people. The upper age limit of 25 was chosen to highlight the long-term impact of OCSA. The participants will be primarily recruited from NHS CAMHS Services located in Greater Manchester. If recruitment through NHS proves to be insufficient, mental health organisations within Greater Manchester will be sought out. A mental health organisation is as an organisation that provides counselling support for trauma victims, including OCSA and have a clinical care team part of their organisation, as defined by in their charter. To be part of this study the organisation must be officially registered in England. Social media will also be used to recruit participants residing in the North West of England. The participants will participate in a 45 minute to 1 hour interview. The questions will be focused on the months and years following the abuse. This includes disclosure and barriers or facilitators to accessing support services. There will be no external funding sought for this project.
Summary of Results
The qualitative study titled ‘Understanding the psychological impact of online sexual abuse’ was sponsored by the University of Manchester. The qualitative study aimed to understand the short-term and long-term impact of online sexual abuse (OSA) occurring in childhood. A secondary aim of the study was to understand any helpful or unhelpful practices in receiving support after an experience of OSA. To the author’s knowledge, this was the first study that utilised a qualitative approach to ask adult survivors to recount their experiences of childhood OSA.
Recruitment took place from November 2021 to February 2023, with eight participants recruited during that time. The study involved a one-time interview; participants were able to choose if they would like to have it remotely (online) or in-person. Six interviews occurred online and two interviews took place remotely. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interviews were semi-structured and were informed by a topic guide which asked about the nature of the participant’s unwanted online sexual experiences, the impact of the experience on both their perceived self-esteem and mental health consequences, impact on relationships with family and friends, experiences of disclosure and support received.
Following thematic analysis, the researchers found that the unwanted online sexual experiences had a significant long-term impact on the participant’s sense of self and how they relate to friends, family, and romantic partners. Participants discussed prolonged feelings of anxiety that the images were shared online, which is corroborated with existing research. The support that participant’s received was inconsistent, with some participants recalling positive experiences with healthcare professionals following disclosure of the unwanted online sexual experiences and some participants recalled negative reactions.
The study has important implications for clinical services, namely the importance that practitioners are trained in different types of OSA and how to respond to disclosure. Additionally, it is important that young people are included in their service-user engagement strategies, as this will provide valuable insight into how young people are interacting with the online world. Equally, it is important to update assessment tools to include questions about OSA. Further, it is important that future research should develop and evaluate measures that specifically inquire about and assess for OSA during initial clinical assessments or clinical history taking meetings.
We would like to thank all participants who took part or expressed interest in the study, as your contributions are incredibly valuable in developing the research base that will help inform clinical services
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
21/NI/0167
Date of REC Opinion
8 Nov 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion