Peer-reviewed article
Support, snacks, and a tailored approach to empower recovery: professionals' insights on supporting children victimized by online child sexual abuse.
Birgersson A, Jonsson LS ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study examines how professionals in Sweden support children who have experienced online child sexual abuse (OCSA). Researchers interviewed 43 professionals including forensic interviewers, social workers, therapists, and medical staff to understand the impacts of OCSA on children, caregivers, and service systems. The study found that victims often feel complicit in their abuse, caregivers experience inadequacy, and service systems lack consistent policies and guidelines. Professionals emphasize the need for tailored approaches, clearer protocols, and better interagency cooperation to support OCSA victims and their families.
Key points
- Children victimized by OCSA often experience feelings of complicity in their own abuse
- Caregivers of OCSA victims report a sense of inadequacy in supporting their children
- Service systems lack consistent national guidelines and policies for OCSA cases
- Professionals call for OCSA to be treated with the same protocols as other crimes against children
- Better interagency cooperation and organizational policies are needed to improve support
Limitations
This study captures only professional perspectives from Sweden and does not include direct accounts from children, adolescents, or caregivers themselves. The findings may not be generalizable to other countries with different systems, policies, or cultural contexts.
Abstract
Introduction 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. Method 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. Results 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. Discussion 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.