Early exposure to child sexual abuse material: Prevalence, circumstances and psychosocial functioning

BACKGROUND: The proliferation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on digital platforms poses a critical challenge for online safety, especially for children. Despite global efforts to combat CSAM, opportunities for exposure remain widespread, with limited research on its developmental and psychosocial impacts. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the prevalence and circumstances of early CSAM exposure and examines associations between age of first exposure and psychosocial functioning among self-reported CSAM users. METHOD: The study analysed survey data from 5642 respondents who have searched for CSAM on the dark web. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the age and circumstances of first exposure, while chi-square tests assessed whether the context of exposure differed across age groups. Psychosocial functioning (stress regulation, social withdrawal, daily routine management) was compared across age-of-first-exposure groups using one-way ANOVA and MANOVA, with effect sizes assessed for practical significance. Sensitivity analyses addressed missing data. All analyses were carried out using SPSS (version 29). RESULTS: Results show that 65.1% reported first exposure before the age of 18 years, with over one-third exposed at age 13 years or younger. Younger exposure was significantly linked to greater difficulties coping with stress and social withdrawal, although daily routines were unaffected. Moreover, half (50.2%) of younger respondents (under 18 years) reported accidental exposure. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the necessity for enhanced online safeguarding to prevent early, unintentional exposure and highlight the psychosocial impacts that may contribute to offending pathways.