# Support, snacks, and a tailored approach to empower recovery: professionals’ insights on supporting children victimized by online child sexual abuse

## TL;DR

This study explores how professionals support children affected by online child sexual abuse, highlighting the need for better policies and cooperation.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the professional experiences and challenges in supporting OCSA victims and highlights the need for tailored approaches and interagency cooperation.

## Key findings

- Professionals emphasize the psychological impact of OCSA on children and the need for tailored support.
- Lack of national guidelines and policies hinders effective support for OCSA victims and caregivers.
- Interagency cooperation is identified as crucial for improving the response to OCSA cases.

## Abstract

Even though Online Child Sexual Abuse (OCSA) has become a recognized phenomenon, there are still extensive gaps in knowledge and understanding of the implications of OCSA. A considerable number of children and adolescents (CAA) are affected daily by OCSA, and it has emerged as a growing threat to their physiological and psychological development.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of the professionals working with OCSA in various agencies and roles, inclusive of their perception of how OCSA and their work impacts: Children and Adolescents, Caregivers, and Interagency Cooperation. Qualitative design with an inductive approach were used interviewing 43 Swedish professionals, including: forensic child interviewers, social workers, therapists within child psychiatry, and medical professionals. All had extensive, experience of working with children and adolescent victims of OCSA. The collected material was analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

The analysis of the collected material resulted in three main themes and 12 subthemes related to the research questions. The three main themes are: (1) Victim Impact – Feeling Complicit; (2) Caregiver Impact – Sense of Inadequacy; (3) System Impact – System Error. Those interviewed voiced special circumstances highlighting the need for a tailored approach and organizational policies supporting interagency cooperation.

Findings bring to light the challenges professionals face managing the lack of policies and national guidelines affecting the support they can provide OSCA victims and caregivers. Participants in the study agree, OCSA victims and their caregivers should be privy to the same protocols applying to children subjected to other forms of crimes. These protocols include incorporating questions addressing potential OCSA, along with routine questions utilized as part of the assessment process in treatment/social service settings.