Stop it Now! A programme to prevent child sexual abuse in the UK and Netherlands – originating in the US

The role of the Stop it Now! UK Helpline in protecting children from online abuse Dr Caroline Paskell NatCen Social Research, UK

Contents  Introduction to Stop it Now! UK  Overview of the research  Indications of Helpline effects  Toolkit and broader relevance…

Introduction

4 Subject and purpose of presentation  Subject  Not a child helpline per se  A broader helpline to prevent child sexual abuse  Focus here on helpline users who pose online risk  Purpose  Discuss the role within broader prevention strategy  Identify relevance and opportunities for use elsewhere

5 Stop it Now! UK (Lucy Faithfull Foundation)  Public health approach to CSA  Public awareness campaign, specific provision to parents, online monitoring software, helpline with target groups  Established 2002, following basis of Stop it Now! in USA  Catalysed founding in 2012 of Stop it Now! Netherlands

6 Stop it Now! UK helpline  Purpose  Anonymous information, advice, support & guidance  Anyone concerned about child sexual abuse  Target groups include people concerned for a child, or about another person’s behaviour or about themselves  Delivery  First phase: telephone and provision  Second phase: more specialised, can be face-to-face  Gateway to other services – from LFF and other agencies

7 Profile of Stop! UK helpline users Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and s), 2013 Caller group CallsCallers N%N% Concerned about own behaviour 3,49356%144541% Concerned about own behaviour (July-Sept 2014).59%.. Concerned about child/young person's behaviour 2734%1986% Concerned a child may have been abused 2364%2016% Professionals 3315%3039% Survivors of child sexual abuse 1562%1244% Other callers 3576%3019%

Profile of users who have offended online

Google Adwords: Stop it Now! Two adverts running against 129 keywords

Splash Pages and Warning Banners Recognise risk of detection Deter use of online CSA images Recognise behaviour as problematic Engage with prevention services Recognise support available to address behaviour 10

11 Ongoing increase in users posing online risk  Report from Stop it Now! UK, 2014  “In comparison with the same quarter last year [July-September] the number of people contacting the Helpline who have offended online has increased by 35% and those concerned that their Internet use is out of control has increased by 46%.”  Graph shows Number of new callers who were concerned about their own behaviour, offline and online

Overview of study

13 Study aims and EU co- funding  Aims  Inform and enhance efforts to tackle child sexual abuse  By investigating operation and impact of the Stop it Now! helplines in UK and Netherlands  And devising a toolkit to support similar provision elsewhere  Funding  EU financial support for activities with a focus on justice  Daphne III programme aims to contribute to protection of children, young people and women against violence

14 NatCen Crime and Justice Team Crime and Justice Team NatCen Social Research Independent social research institute Expert qualitative and qualitative researchers, survey methodologists and data analysts Policy research centre: focussed on social and policy research across key domains NatCen Crime Team 7 research staff Specialise in sensitive, qualitative research Research areas include: sexual offenders in custody; boys and men as victims; desistance studies; attitudes to sentencing sexual offences

15 Project partners Lucy Faithfull Foundation de Waag The Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (Berlin) Save the Children Finland

16 Methods User feedback: opt-in approach and offer of anonymity  32 interviews and 2 focus groups (47 users)  112 questionnaire responses  Research Ethics Approval  Scoping work: desk based review and interviews with stakeholders  Economic analysis  Toolkit for establishing a helpline for potential/ actual abusers

Achieved sample Number taking part in interviews/ focus groups Number completing questionnaire Adults concerned about own behaviour 3250 Other adults who can play a role in preventing CSA 1419 Victims/survivors of CSA04 Professionals127 Reason for calling unknownN/A12 Total

Adults concerned about own feelings/ behaviour  All 32 interview/ focus group participants had committed a sexual offence and were known to the authorities.  29 committed internet offences  Profile of people who completed the questionnaire from this category: Accessed online CSA images28 Contacted a child online1 Sexual feelings towards children7 Considering accessing CSA images6 Concerned they may have sexual contact with a child1 18

Effects

20 Theoretical framework  Offenders & offences vary; risk of offending is dynamic; but: Protective factors that may support desistence from sexual offending (de Vries Robbe et al, 2013). Healthy sexual interests Constructive social/professional support network Good problem solving Abstention from drug/alcohol misuse Capacity for emotional intimacy and satisfying relationships with other adults Capacity to set goals and work towards their achievement Engagement in constructive and rewarding employment or other activities Hopeful, optimistic and motivated attitude to desistence

Improved wellbeing/ability to self manage Recognise risky behaviour Belief in ability to change Techniques to manage behaviour Changed behaviour /circumstanc e Reduced risk Helpline Other services e.g. Inform, Inform Plus Securus GP, mental health specialist, social services

Recognise risk I'd convinced myself that …the pictures…I'd looked at, there was no victim 22

Belief in change 23 …there is someone to talk to, to say, 'Right, you know? There are steps you need to do to address these demons’ - you know?

Techniques to manage behaviour 24 I'm not saying I'm ever going to be cured, but the strategies are in place to stop me reoffending now.

Changed behaviour Of the 32 people who answered this part of the questionnaire, two thirds reported ‘they felt more able to manage their sexual thoughts’ and ‘more able to manage their sexual behaviour’ since using Stop! 25 No access to pornography Reduce time online Displacement activity – gym, reading

Strengthen other protective factors  Social networks  Relationships  Meaningful activity 26

Wider relevance

28 Splash Pages and Warning Banners Splash Pages/Warning Banners likely to be most effective when: Early intervention Capacity to manage behaviour High motivation to desist Statement about illegality/ harm + encouragement to seek help

29 Toolkit  A toolkit to assist people across Europe to develop helplines which suit their specific national or local context has been developed from the research.  The toolkit does not set out a single model of operation, but outlines key points to consider in developing a suitable helpline for a particular nation, area or user group.  Can be downloaded from

30 Overview Step 1: Mapping the context Step 2: Defining the aims and objectives Step 3: Identifying the most suitable design Step 4: Structuring the delivery Step 5: Promoting the helpline Step 6: Resourcing the helpline Step 7: Monitoring and evaluating the helpline

If you would like further information please visit the website: Or Thank you