Peer-reviewed article
Examining the Cross-Country Differences in the Adverse Childhood Experiences Associated With Men’s Interest in and Perpetration of Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Tyson Whitten, Michael Salter, Delanie Woodlock, Ashleigh McFeeters, Inga Vermeulen et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and adult men's involvement in technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse (TF-CSEA) across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The research found that ACEs were significantly more prevalent among men who perpetrate TF-CSEA compared to those with no involvement, with higher rates in the UK and US than Australia. Specific ACE types—particularly sexual abuse and neglect—showed strong associations with TF-CSEA perpetration. The study suggests that addressing childhood adversity could be an important part of preventing technology-facilitated child sexual abuse.
Key points
- ACEs were markedly more prevalent among TF-CSEA perpetrators, with proportions ranging from 28.2–67.8% in the United Kingdom and 35.9–64.0% in the United States, compared to 16.0–35.6% in Australia
- Sexual abuse (aOR = 3.64) and neglect (aOR = 2.27) were the ACE types most associated with TF-CSEA perpetration
- Emotional abuse (aOR = 2.55) and sexual abuse (aOR = 2.10) were more likely for perpetrators than those with interest only
- Different ACE types showed stronger associations in different countries: emotional abuse was stronger in the UK than Australia, and neglect was stronger in the UK than the US
- The findings support policies addressing ACEs as part of a broader TF-CSEA prevention strategy
Limitations
The study uses cross-sectional quota-based sampling and cannot establish causality between ACEs and TF-CSEA perpetration. Self-reported data on sensitive topics like childhood experiences and online behavior may be subject to recall bias and underreporting, particularly for illegal activities.
Abstract
Rates of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse (TF-CSEA) have substantially increased over the past decade. Addressing associated factors such as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) may be critical for large-scale prevention. This study examined the relationship between ACEs and adult men categorised as having (a) no TF-CSEA interest or perpetration, (b) TF-CSEA interest only, and (c) TF-CSEA perpetration. Independent quota-based samples from Australia ( n = 1,939), the United Kingdom ( n = 1,506), and the United States ( n = 1,473) were analysed, with data weighted to be demographically comparable to the male populations. Results show that ACEs were markedly more prevalent among TF-CSEA perpetrators, with proportions higher in the United Kingdom (28.2%–67.8%) and United States (35.9%–64.0%) than in Australia (16.0%–35.6%). Multivariate analyses indicate that emotional abuse (adjsuted OR = 0.52), sexual abuse (aOR = 1.77), and household incarceration (aOR = 2.05) were associated with TF-CSEA interest only, while sexual abuse (aOR = 3.64) and neglect (aOR = 2.27) were associated with TF-CSEA perpetration, relative to no TF-CSEA interest or perpetration, and after adjusting for other ACE types. Furthermore, emotional (aOR = 2.55) and sexual abuse (aOR = 2.10) were more likely for the TF-CSEA perpetration than the interest only group. Interaction effects showed that emotional abuse had a stronger association in the United Kingdom than in Australia, and neglect in the United Kingdom than in the United States. These findings underscore the association between childhood adversity, especially sexual abuse, and TF-CSEA, and highlight the importance of policies addressing ACEs as part of a broader prevention strategy.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Examination of the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and men's TF-CSEA perpetration to inform prevention policies targeting ACEs
- Population
- Adult men aged 18+ from quota-based samples in Australia (n=1,939), United Kingdom (n=1,506), and United States (n=1,473)
Key finding
Sexual abuse was associated with TF-CSEA perpetration (aOR = 3.64)
Whitten et al. · Prof. Deborah Fry (OpenAlex works) · 3 Mar 2026