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
The definition of child ‘self-generated’ sexual material is a complex one. This is partly because it includes a broad ran
e’s views on the issue of ‘self-generated’ sexual material in three different country contexts – Ghana, Thailand and Ireland. We conducted qualitative data gathering in the form of small focus groups with children aged 13-17. We encouraged them to share their general thoughts about how and why ‘self-generated’ sexual materials were shared, their views on responses to this issue and their ideas on how this could be improved.
Watch these animated videos featuring children’s voices
Key findings
A common issue
In Ghana, Ireland and Thailand, children described the sharing and receiving of ‘self-generated’ images as relatively common.
Gender playing a key role
Girls are seen to be disproportionately affected by the negative consequences of ‘self-generated’ sexual material.
Reasons
Children engage in ‘self-generated’ sexual material for various reasons, from excitement and connection to pressure, coercion, and financial exploitation.
Sexual exploitation for money
In Ghana, this was seen as a dominant motivation to share self-generated sexual material.
Widespread stigma
A clash is evident between their online experiences and the conservative values and attitudes that were still prevalent in their offline social lives.
Issues with police reporting
Children mentioned a fear that the police would be hostile and make the situation worse.
Lack of access to confidential support
Children were sceptical about reporting to school counselling services, safeguarding leads, hotlines or other adults due to concerns about confidentiality.
Generational divide
Many of the children would have liked to turn to their parents and carers for support and guidance but felt the gap in understanding was too substantial for them to do so.
Recommendations
These recommendations come from direct suggestions from children in this study and are based on their key messages. We have identified actions that would help realise the changes that children wanted.
Governments and schools should review their educational responses to child ‘self-generated’ sexual content.
Governments, schools and civil society should provide children with confidential support from trained adults.
Legal reforms are needed to ensure children are not criminalised for possessing or sharing their own images either as victims or in a consensual way with another child or young person.
Companies should provide high-quality information from online influencers and educators, and invest in technical solutions to respond to the circulation of ‘self-generated’ sexual material.
- Clear and effective language
Relevant and effective language should be used when talking about these issues, with a review of the term ‘self-generated’ sexual material for practitioners.
Briefing paper
This report was researched and written by Dr Zoe Hilton and Helen King, with support from Liz Curtis, Dr Elly Hanson, Chloe Setter, Jess Lishak and Delali Mortty.
WeProtect Global Alliance would like to thank all the children, young people and professionals in Ghana, Thailand and Ireland who gave up their time to share their views and perspectives on these issues with the research team.
The Alliance would also like to thank the member of the Advisory Group for their support and guidance in the development of this report.
