SURVEY PRELIMINARY REPORT 5 '1 CANADIAN CENTRE for CHILD Helping families. Protecting children. LII protectchildren.ca TO THE SURVIVORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse, please know that our team is working very hard to make positive change happen for you and for future generations of survivors. We believe change is coming. It is important that we share with the public, the reality of what we are seeing and hearing from survivors and what we are learning through our research and technical solutions. If you feel reading this information and our report might be difficult for you or if you find yourself feeling distressed after reading it we encourage you to reach out to supports in your community. This could include personal supports (family and friends) or professional supports (therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, local counselling and crisis response agencies). The online exploitation and abuse of children is a growing problem and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection is invested in finding solutions that will prevent this crime and provide protection and support to those impacted by it. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection Inc. (the “Canadian Centre”) is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to the personal safety of all children. THIS REPORT CONTAINS PRELIMINARY DATA FROM AN ONLINE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR CHILD PROTECTION INC.. THE DATA IS SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT AND REFINEMENT IN THE FINAL REPORT. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THIS REPORT: • You may use the data for information purposes • You may electronically store and make one printed copy of this Report for your own use • You may post a link to the report on a website you own or control WHAT YOU CANNOT DO WITH THIS REPORT: • You are not permitted to post a copy of this report online, in whole or in part © 2017, Canadian Centre for Child Protection Inc. All rights reserved. “CANADIAN CENTRE for CHILD PROTECTION” is registered in Canada as a trademark of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection Inc. E. & O.E. 2 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT SURVIVORS’ SURVEY PRELIMINARY REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW OF PROJECT 2 INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP 2 INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT 3 SURVEY DESIGN AND ADMINISTRATION 3 WHAT WE LEARNED FROM SURVIVORS 4 ABOUT THIS REPORT 7 OVERVIEW OF SUMMARY RESULTS 9 TACTICS USED BY OFFENDERS 14 VICTIM IMPACT 18 UNCOVERING ABUSE 23 CONCLUSION 26 All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 1 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT OVERVIEW OF PROJECT The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (Canadian Centre) is a national charity dedicated to the personal safety of all children. Our goal is to reduce the incidence of missing and sexually exploited children while educating the Canadian public about ways to keep children safe. Through our role in operating Cybertip.ca (Canada’s tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children), our agency has witnessed the growing proliferation of child sexual abuse material on the Internet. We are now seeing more and more victims of child sexual abuse imagery whose abuse has been recorded reach adulthood. Information from these individuals offers a lens into the unique challenges faced by victims of this crime. To better understand this aspect, the Canadian Centre launched an international survey in January 2016 for adult survivors whose child sexual abuse was recorded and that was, or may have been, distributed online. Since that time, we have had 128 survivors participate in the survey and contribute valuable details and information about their experience. The goal of the survey is to learn about the impacts experienced by this population, as well as determine what policy, legislative and therapeutic changes are required to respond to the needs of these victims. In order to achieve this goal, a working group of international experts was established. It is expected that a final series of global recommendations will be released later this year with regard to improved intervention and responses to victims of child sexual abuse imagery. A report will also be shared with stakeholders on best practices and considerations related to addressing the needs of this unique population. “As a victim of this most horrific form of child sexual exploitation, I have felt alone, misunderstood and helpless. It is time for the world to understand child pornography and the unimaginable impacts it has on us, the victims. We need to find our voice to help those who wish to better understand and help us.” – Victim of child sexual abuse imagery INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP An international working group was established to contribute knowledge and feedback into the development of the survey questions and design, as well as to collaborate in crafting global recommendations based on the survey results. Cochaired by Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre and Michelle Collins DeLaune, Chief Operating Officer of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (U.S.), the international working group is comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, lawyers, clinicians and child advocates. In addition, stakeholders such as crown prosecutors, law enforcement and government representatives were invited to contribute their expertise to the process and participated in the International Summit described subsequently. “As child pornography victims grow older, many come to realize that the images of their sexual abuse will continue to exist and be consumed for the remainder of their lives, and that they are largely powerless to end the abuse. This knowledge may haunt the victims for years because possessors and distributors will continue to consume, and possibly distribute, the images and recordings indefinitely...A recent survey revealed that almost ninety-five per cent of child pornography victims suffer lifelong psychological damage and may never overcome the harm, even after lifelong therapy.” – Binford et. al. indicates in Beyond Paroline: Ensuring Meaningful Remedies for Child Pornography Victims at Home and Abroad (2014) All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 2 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT On October 5 and 6, 2016, the Canadian Centre welcomed international experts on child sexual abuse to Ottawa, Canada for a Summit to help develop global recommendations intended to assist the growing population of victims whose abuse was recorded and disseminated online. In advance of the Summit, participants were provided with preliminary data pertaining to 115 surveys. A series of global recommendations were drafted at the Summit, and work is ongoing to finalize the recommendations and release them as part of the final report on this project. SURVEY DESIGN AND ADMINISTRATION The Canadian Centre consulted with a number of professionals who are experts in related fields, as well as victims who have been affected by this crime in the creation of the survey. Careful consideration was given to the way in which the survey was designed and carried out, including: • Administering it online to increase anonymity and allowing victims to complete it at their own pace with the hope that the format would yield more information • Dividing it into sections and providing participants with a brief description of the type of information covered in each area and reasons for why the information was being sought • Allowing participants to skip sections as well as individual questions • Encouraging participants to take breaks from completing the survey and allowing survivors to re-access their particular survey using a distinct access code • The number of questions that were restricted to a yes/no or multiple choice response were kept to a minimum, which allowed participants to share the information the way they saw fit rather than having to try and reduce their experience to a set of pre-defined responses • The survey was also made available in four languages (English, Dutch, German and French) In addition, there were two distinct pools of participants who participated in the survey. One pool is comprised of participants with whom the Canadian Centre and/or a member of the International Working Group had a direct relationship. Thus, it is known that the individuals in this pool met the survey criteria and had an identified support person in their lives (e.g., therapist, family member). The other pool of participants is comprised of individuals who would have learned of the survey in some other way (e.g., general media, online support network, etc.). The online pool of participants was required to answer some additional verification questions to help ensure their experience met the criteria for the survey, but otherwise answered basically the same questions as the verified pool of participants. “Be aware that people are capable of doing extreme and atrocious things to one another, even if you would like to deny that. Not being believed is often as painful as the abuse itself.” – Survivor, in response to the question “What do you want therapist to know” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 3 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT WHAT WE LEARNED FROM SURVIVORS The survivors who completed the survey shared a tremendous amount of information about their abuse experience and the day to day struggles they face. Notably there was a strikingly high degree of common responses and shared experiences despite the fact that survey participants were located in several different countries and were able to respond to questions in their own words and with as much or as little detail as they chose. While analysis of the information is ongoing, and a more comprehensive report will be released later in 2017, it is recognized that there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the realities faced by survivors on a daily basis. As a result, this preliminary report has been prepared to begin the process of raising awareness and hopefully contribute to a broader, more meaningful discussion about the various policy issues that are raised by the data. The following are the key themes and potential solutions to address, which became readily apparent from an in-depth review of the data: 1. Recording the sexual abuse of a child has a significant, lifelong impact on the victim. The fact that images/videos of a child’s sexual abuse were created at all, not to mention that they may still be possessed by the abuser and be publicly available for others to access, has an enormous negative impact on the individual. The impact can perpetuate into adulthood and may reduce the ability of an individual to recover and function in society. By taking concrete steps to prevent new child sexual abuse material from becoming publicly available, and curbing the public availability of images that have already been posted online, the ongoing harm to survivors and new victims can be reduced. “I perceive the world as terribly unsafe. Very, very unsafe. I often feel like a hunted animal. It’s very clear that this is due to the existence of photo imagery, because that is specifically what also makes the outside world very dangerous. In the past if someone said they knew me from somewhere, then I would completely lose it inside. I find it difficult to be somewhere where there’s lots of people. I believe everybody thinks I’m dirty. I find men very scary and want nothing to do with anything relating to sexuality - it is taboo.” – Survivor, in response to the question “Please describe how the existence or distribution of child sexual abuse imagery impacts you differently from the hands-on abuse” 2. Most victims were abused from a young age and by a family member. • 60% of the survivors indicated that the single/primary abuser was a parent. • For 56% of the survivors, the abuse began between age 0-4, and of those, 61% indicated that the abuse continued into adulthood. • 56% of survivors reported having been abused by more than one person – some by multiple family members. • The extreme and pervasive nature of the sexual abuse reported by many of the respondents was shocking. For example, 52% of survivors appeared to have been victims of ‘organized abuse’ (described in a subsequent section of this report). All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 4 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT We need to improve the way in which systems are responding to this population by providing comprehensive training to more professionals about: the dynamics of different abuse situations; how to recognize and respond to abuse committed within the family context; and the impact of trauma and how it can present in the victim. Such training could have an enormous impact on the ability of stakeholders to identify abusive situations and believe survivors when they come forward. “What I experienced was that police didn’t believe me, but played the lawyer of the opposing party. That was traumatising. Try to listen to a person first, without judging straightaway. Sometimes a story is too incredible, but unfortunately it can still be founded in truth. Try to search for that with the victim. I was SO scared when i talked to the police. To me there was truly nothing worse than the idea that i was accusing my own father. So strange. So horribly strange, because he’d done the most horrible things to me. but I was still so loyal.. Try to take that into account in your work as police.” – Survivor, in response to the question “What do you want police to know?” 3. Most survivors find it difficult to disclose abuse. Threats or physical abuse were commonly used to silence victims or to maintain compliance. Most survivors who did disclose did not do so when they were children, and of those who did, many were not believed. It is established within research that child sexual abuse is difficult to prevent, detect and intervene given its secretive nature, the powerlessness of the victim, and that disclosure is an incredibly difficult process. Moreover, those children who are abused in a family or organized context may have not had a safe person in their life that they can tell. There were also a significant number of victims who were threatened with depraved and terrifying promises of harm that were exceedingly violent in nature. “If someone who I trusted had asked me straight forward about it while it was happening and especially if they told me I wouldn’t be in trouble and that they would protect me.” – Survivor, in response to the question “Provide information about a time you may have disclosed if someone had said or done something different” Organized Sexual Abuse Theme Throughout the review of the survey results, a concerning theme that emerged was the organized sexual abuse of children. The following was developed as a working definition of the term “organized sexual abuse”: “Abuse that involves children being subjected to sexual abuse by multiple offenders. The range of harm to children may include the creation and sharing of child sexual abuse images, the exchange of children for sexual purposes, as well as possible involvement in sadistic, torture-related and ritualistic abuse. Organized abuse is primarily facilitated and orchestrated by parents and relatives. This type of abuse can be perpetrated against the victim into adulthood.” At least 66 surveys (52%) fit the above working definition. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 5 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT There is an urgent need to reframe how we are tackling this issue – current intervention responses are inadequate and the existing model that relies on a child disclosing is not feasible. Targeting and investing resources and training to assist police, child welfare and other protective systems to more readily recognize situations of risk will enable these systems to do a better job of uncovering and intervening where warranted, thereby taking the unrealistic pressure off children to disclose in order to be protected. “Children are extremely loyal in the very situations where they are being abused. It is very difficult for children like that to break free of the perpetrators. Only later do they realise they are free. The perpetrators have riveted the children to themselves both physically and psychologically. I was deathly afraid a) that someone would figure it out; b) that I would have to leave, that was unthinkable I’d rather have been dead because I thought it would be even worse somewhere else, they had deceived me into believing that nobody could be trusted only them. Whereas they couldn’t be trusted. So what horrible monsters must have ordinary people then? Those were my perceptions as a child.” – Survivor, in response to the question “What do you want child protection workers to know?” 4. The unique needs of survivors of child sexual abuse imagery are not being adequately addressed. Existing support services are not meeting the specialized needs of survivors. Not only is the victimization experienced by this population completely unique, the impacts of the abusive experience are long lasting and often lifelong. From what we have learned, these survivors have incredible difficulty finding and financing the supports they need, and appear to require different levels and types of support at different points in their development through adulthood. Short term and generic trauma counseling will not lead these survivors to an adequate place of recovery. Survivors would benefit from having ongoing and affordable access to knowledgeable therapists as well as access to an advocate that will work with/for them over time, ensuring that they are connected to the services that they need. My child sexual abuse imagery is out there for anyone to see, I will forever be taken advantage of. It’s not something that will ever go away. Being the adult I am now, my photos are still out there, as long as the internet exists my photos will always be out there. Sites will be taken down but new ones are somehow being put back up. As far as I know there is just no way of permanently deleting those photos. There is no way I can finally be done with this abuse. I have to live my life guarded and can never fully trust anyone. My own father did this to me. A man placed in my life to protect me, not hurt me, abused me. And now thousands of other people continue to do the same.” – Survivor, in response to the question “Please describe how the existence or distribution of child sexual abuse imagery impacts you differently from the hands-on abuse” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 6 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT ABOUT THIS REPORT Intended Purpose The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the data that has been received and analyzed to date. Given the importance of the issues raised by the survey, and the information shared by survivors so far, it has been decided that the online survey will remain open for the foreseeable future. The Canadian Centre wishes to ensure that all survivors who wish to contribute their voice to the data are able to do so. Understanding the Data The statistics, graphs and tables (the “Summary Data”) within this document are based on an analysis of the information provided by 128 victims in survey responses entered on or before November 28, 2016. The data set out in this report is subject to adjustment in the final report. The final report will include more data, and will be released later in 2017. All percentages are rounded to the nearest percentage and therefore may add up to over 100% due to rounding. Not all graphs will be out of 128 because survey respondents were able to skip questions; not all respondents were eligible to answer all questions (some questions were only asked if a respondent answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a previous question, for example); and the responses of some respondents did not fit the question that was asked. For some questions, the responses may have fit multiple categories and so the graph for such questions would not represent the number of respondents but instead represents the number of responses of each particular type. Such graphs are marked with the legend “Multiple Responses per Respondent”. The quotes from survivors have been reproduced verbatim to the extent possible, but may have been edited for length, spelling or to remove potentially personally identifying information, and the text reproduced may be from a translated version of the statement provided. Surveys Included in Analysis All surveys received to November 28, 2016 were reviewed, and 128 surveys were selected for inclusion in the analysis. The 128 surveys that were included were the surveys that contained enough salient information to permit meaningful analysis. By way of explanation: 1. Certain questions in the survey were mandatory – such as whether the respondent was over the age of 18, and whether the respondent had her/his child sexual abuse recorded. If the respondent indicated that s/he was under the age of 18, or did not have her/his sexual abuse recorded, s/he was not able to continue on with the survey, and those surveys were excluded from the analysis. 2. The survey was comprised of different question types. While some questions required only a yes/no response and some provided multiple choice options, the vast majority of questions allowed the respondent to answer the question in her/his own words and language. Some of the surveys received included responses only to some of the yes/no and/or multiple choice questions, with no text responses completed. Those surveys were excluded from the analysis. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 7 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT 3. As the survey was quite lengthy, it was recognized that respondents may not want or be able to complete the survey in one session. Thus, survey respondents were able to respond to as many questions as s/he wanted, then take a break and come back at a later time to carry on with the survey. If a participant chose to return to complete additional questions, that participant was also able to edit and/or delete past responses if desired. The last question of the survey asked the respondent to click a button to “complete” the survey. All other surveys were deemed to be “incomplete”. a. All of the surveys that were “completed” as of November 28, 2016 were included in the analysis, unless the survey had been excluded for the reason set forth in item 2 above, the information that was in the survey was unintelligible or if the information did not appear to be authentic. b. All surveys that were “incomplete” as of November 28, 2016 were assessed separately. Those that included salient details in response to at least some of the narrative questions, and that appeared to reflect an authentic attempt to complete the survey, were included in the 128 available for analysis. Limitations. The survey was administered online and it is assumed that the respondents who completed the surveys included in the analysis were truthful in the responses given. It is possible that an individual who did not meet the criteria completed the survey. It is also possible that a respondent completed the survey more than once. All Information is Preliminary The Summary Data reflects the analysis to date and is subject to change. A final report on the project will be issued publicly in 2017. The final report will be based on the more detailed analysis of the 128 responses that is currently underway as well as consultations with the participants of the International Summit and other subject matter experts. “Pictures/videos are supposed to capture the memories you want to relive again and again. As I look back at some of the photos from my childhood my only memory now is what I had to do to make that moment special, what other videos/photos were taken. If I must summarize it, it’s as if I never have real ‘freedom’, never uninhibited, never without fear. The result is that I never sleep well, that everything is complicated and that I can get stirred up by the stupidest things. If I’m somewhere and somebody looks at me, I’m always afraid that it’s because people know it, or recognize me.“ – Survivor, in response to the question “How does the child sexual abuse imagery impact you differently from the abuse itself?” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 8 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT OVERVIEW OF SUMMARY RESULTS* The following results are based on an analysis of 128 surveys. Survey respondents were predominantly female, with ages ranging from 18 to over 50, and close to 70% of respondents believed the images of their abuse had been distributed online. Abuse experiences that took place in at least 5 different countries are represented. Key Demographics SEX OF RESPONDENTS (N=128) CURRENT AGE OF RESPONDENTS (N=128) 18-19 50+ Male 12% 12% 40-49 84% 18% 20-29 38% 26% Female 1% NRP 3% Response provided does not answer question 5% COUNTRY LIVED IN AT THE TIME OF ABUSE (N=127) 30-39 Q10 Images/recordings distributed 1% NRP online (n=115): IMAGES/RECORDINGS DISTRIBUTED ONLINE (N=128) Multiple Responses per Respondent Permitted 55% Netherlands 67% Yes 23% Germany 11% 6% Canada USA 11% Other 32% Unsure 1% No response The above graph must not be interpreted as suggesting that abuse is more or less prevalent in any one country. It simply reflects the composition of survey respondents to the date of analysis. Of note, the Netherlands and Germany each have a large victim network through which information about the survey could be disseminated, whereas other countries represented in the survey did not. * Not all graphs are out of 128 as survey respondents were able to skip questions; not all respondents were eligible to answer all questions; and some respondents had not reached the end of the survey as of November 28, 2016. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 9 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT Circumstances of Abuse and Recording of Abuse The information provided in this section examines some of the dynamics of the abuse suffered, specifically related to the photographing and/or recording of it. The goal was to better understand the victimization involved with the creation of child sexual abuse imagery. However, we believe that this information could significantly contribute to our understanding of the impact associated with child sexual abuse imagery and help criminal justice, mental health and advocacy agencies better understand and help survivors of this crime. AGE RANGE WHEN ABUSE BEGAN (N=129)* AGE RANGE WHEN ABUSE ENDED (N=129)* Q7 Age range when abuse stopped (n=129; one respondent reported on two different abuse situations): 12-17 Ongoing 0-4 10% 1% Unknown 1% Response provided does not answer question 1% NRP 31% 5-11 6% 2% NRP 56% 37% 5-11 18+ *One respondent reported on two different abuse situations 19% 36% 12-17 *One respondent reported on two different abuse situations The details of the abuse experiences of many of the participants were shocking. Over half of the survivors reported that the abuse began at or before the time they were 4 years old, and over 40% reported being abused into adulthood. Such pervasive and long term abuse is of significant concern, particularly given the low rates of disclosure and reporting, as is reflected in data included later in this report. AGE RANGE WHEN ABUSE BEGAN AND ENDED (N=125) Age 0-4 (N=72) 17% 22% 5-11 50% 12-17 11% 18+ Ongoing ABUSE BEGAN Age 5-11 (N=40) Age 12-17 (N=13) 30% 58% 5-11 12% 12-17 54% 18+ 46% 12-17 18+ ABUSE ENDED Note: One respondent reported on two different abuse situations that started and ended at different times. Both abuse situations are captured in the above graphs. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 10 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT WHERE DID THE HANDS-ON ABUSE OCCUR (N=93) LIVING ARRANGEMENTS OF THE VICTIM AT THE TIME OF ABUSE (N=79) Multiple Responses per Respondent Multiple Responses per Respondent 55% Victim’s home 32% Homes of other offenders 29% 17% Outdoors In the offender’s home (offender not living with victim) With offender(s) and other non-offenders (of the offenders, 88.89% (24) were the child’s parent) 33% Parent(s) (neither parent an offender) With offender(s) (90.48% (19) were the 27% child’s parent) 5% Joint custody/access (living part-time with an offender) 10% 13% Vehicle 33% 34% Other (not living with an offender) Various places Other locations mentioned included: studio/manufactured setting (13%), offender’s place of employment (10%), hotel (9%) and shed (5%). Examples of locations coded as “various places“ include: other building used for the abuse of children including fortresses, dungeons and chambers (9), rural area (e.g. farm, barn, country house, rest area along a highway) (6), institutional building (e.g. hospital, school, church) (5), basement (4), vacation/recreational property (4), parking lot (2), boat, campsite, swimming pool, cinema, backroom of a store, other individual’s home, pub, garage. “I hope I will be taken seriously, should I ever get up the courage to report my own father to the police. … I’m afraid I’ll be made out to be a liar. … My recollections are often not lucid, I’m unsure about my own perceptions and it is unclear chronologically. It will be my word against his. I hope that you, as police officers, would do everything humanly possible to get the truth on the table. People are not always who they seem and in some cases parents are not worth the name parents. I hope you will be willing to help me ….” – Survivor, in response to the question “What do you want police to know?” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 11 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT Offenders and Relationship to Victim An unexpected outcome of the survey was that many of the participants were victimized by more than one offender. It was predominantly a family member who was either the direct abuser, or who facilitated the abuse by many other offenders. While it is known that most child sexual abuse does occur within a family context, the high number of respondents who were abused within a large incestuous extended family or as part of an organized abuse network was stunning. It is not difficult to understand how a child being abused within that type of context would have limited options to escape the abuse. Of the respondents who were abused by more than one abuser, many identified one individual as their primary abuser. Information about those abused by one person (single offender) and those who identified one person as the primary abuser were analyzed together as “primary/single” offenders in the tables that follow. Information about all other abusers were analyzed as “secondary” offenders. If a survey respondent reported having had more than one abuser, the response was coded as “Multiple Offender” if the respondent reported that more than one person was carrying out the abuse against them at the same time, and as “Other” if the respondent had reported that more than one person had abused them, but at different points in their life. ONE OFFENDER OR MORE THAN ONE OFFENDER (N=128) 56% Multiple 23% 15% Unknown SEX OF OFFENDERS (N=91) Both sexes mentioned 20% Single 6% Other 80% Males only mentioned Note: Respondents were not directly asked what the sex of the offender(s) was/were, and for 37 surveys it was not possible to determine the sex of the offender(s). Female offenders were only mentioned in conjunction with male offenders; there were no victims who indicated that the abuse was carried out solely by a female offender. “There is nothing you can think of that does not exist. Even when some things sound unbelievable, they are true as a general rule. In my opinion, police officers should obtain basic knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorders during their training or a (an independent) trauma therapist should be present during hearings. Some things may sound strange and therefore seem implausible to police officers without knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorders. Many things can be categorized better with knowledge about the consequences.” – Survivor, in response to the question “What do you want police to know?” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 12 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT RELATIONSHIP OF PRIMARY/SINGLE OFFENDER TO VICTIM (EXCLUDES “OTHER”) (N=90) Survey respondents abused by one person, and respondents who were abused by more than one person but who did identify one person as the primary/principal abuser, are reflected in the graph below. 37% 13% 12% Biological Father Relative (e.g., either grandparent, uncle, aunt, cousin, sibling) Both parents RELATIONSHIP OF SECONDARY OFFENDER(S) TO VICTIM (N=69)* Of the survey respondents who had more than one abuser, the respondents provided detail about their relationship to the principal/primary abuser, as well as the other abuser(s). The graph below reflects the relationship of the respondent to each subsequent/secondary abuser. Acquaintance / “clients” to primary offender 90% 43% Relatives 13% Position of trust (teacher, clergy, counsellor, babysitter) 12% Biological Mother 6% Adoptive / Step-father 6% Biological Mother 6% Neighbour 60.01% (54) of primary offenders are parents Additional responses included: family friend/acquaintance (8%), person in position of trust (10%), acquaintance of victim (4%), neighbour (2%) and stranger (2%). *refers to all offenders about whom the respondent provided information, other than the primary offender Additional responses included: neighbour (6%), adoptive/step/foster father (4%), acquaintance of victim (4%), foster parents (1%). *Note: A response was coded as “both parents” if the respondent identified the offender(s) as “parents” and it was not apparent by the response, or other information shared by the respondent in the survey, that one parent was the primary abuser. CONTEXT IN WHICH THE PRIMARY/SINGLE OFFENDER GAINED ACCESS TO THE VICTIM (N=93) CONTEXT IN WHICH THE SECONDARY OFFENDER GAINED ACCESS TO THE VICTIM (N=72) The vast majority of offenders either lived with the victim, or were in a position of trust over the victim, as illustrated below. Multiple Responses per Respondent Resides with offender full-time (Primary) Offender in position of trust 51% 28% 61% 19% Parent arranged / organized aspect Organized aspect 10% Family arranged / organized aspect 6% Resides with offender part-time/access visits 6% No apparent connection to victim/victim’s family “Organized aspect” means the access by the secondary offender does not appear to have been arranged by a parent or family member of the victim. 5% Institutional school/hospital Other ways that a secondary offender gained access to the victim was through the use of coercion (2%), getting the victim alone/isolated (2%), use of alcohol (1%), or a parent arranging (without it being part of the “organized” aspect). TACTICS USED BY PRIMARY/SINGLE OFFENDER (N=93) Multiple Responses per Respondent Getting the victim alone / isolated None noted (primarily parental/familial control) 53% 35% 10% Coercion 8% Groomed parent/family “He told me that I would get into trouble, that people would think I was a slut, and that my mother wouldn’t love me anymore.” – Survivor Other tactics noted include: abducting the victim (3%), drugging the victim (3%) and using a position of authority (2%). All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 13 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT Tactics Used by Offenders VICTIM SHOWN ADULT PORNOGRAPHY BY AN OFFENDER (N=93) VICTIM SHOWN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGERY BY AN OFFENDER (N=94) 18% 25% 15% 18% 44% 57% 38% REASONS GIVEN BY OFFENDER TO VICTIM FOR RECORDING THE ABUSE (N=60) VICTIM SHOWN OWN ABUSE IMAGERY BY OFFENDER (N=75) 24% 61% Examples of reasons coded as “varied” include: Multiple Responses per Respondent 48% No reason given • the victim “owed” the offender and this would help clear the debt 17% Offender’s personal use • to use it to show the victim what s/he was doing wrong 17% Silence victim (threat to show images) • to use it to teach others 15% 18% Sell/trade images Varied • to have something to “remember” the victim • desire to make art, a movie, a portrait Additional responses included: grooming (7%). All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 14 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT THREATS OR CONSEQUENCES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE (N=81) OFFENDER INSTRUCTIONS/REQUIREMENTS OF VICTIM DURING RECORDING (N=53) 38% Posing/performing 38% Smile/show enjoyment 36% 25% 17% 40% Wearing costumes Silence Multiple Responses per Respondent 25% Non-physical threat to victim 25% Threat of physical harm to family member 20% Props Other Instructions/requirements not reflected in the above table include: making specific sounds (13%), following a script (12%), show pain/discomfort (9%). Threat of physical harm to victim 67% 14% 25% Torture Threat of physical harm to people in victim’s life (not specified or not family) Other Note: There were 26 respondents who indicated that yes, they were instructed/ required to do specific things during the recording of the abuse, but these respondents did not provide any additional detail about the instruction and/or requirement and so they are not reflected in the above table. Also, there were 9 respondents who indicated that there were no specific things they were instructed/required to do. Of those 9 respondents, 5 shared the additional detail that instructions were not necessary as compliance was obtained through the use of restraints (e.g., being tied up, held down, etc.). Examples of instructions/requirements coded as “other” include: told to follow instructions from other abusers/”clients”, told not to cry, told to take initiative, required to use objects in certain ways (e.g., sex toys, items of clothing), told to show pleasure or arousal (through facial expressions or rehearsed orgasms), required to read stories involving the sexual abuse of children, and forced to engage in violence against other children. “He would threaten to kill me and kill my family. Swear that I would go to hell. He made me promise on a bible (I was close to God at the time) that I’d never tell anyone.” – Survivor “Threatened/consequences to the effect that:… I will be tortured/killed;… Someone I like will be tortured/killed;… I have to kill someone I like;… I have to look for someone who would have to do what I do;… Someone I like would have to do what I do instead;… I will have to go to jail if I don’t cooperate;… Other perpetrators:… I would end up in a home/ in a psychiatric hospital because they would tell everyone how crazy I am;… I would be insane if I refused;… Isolation;… Humiliation before others;… Beating;… They would tell the other, meaner perpetrators that I did not obey.” – Survivor Both of the above quotes were in response to the question “Please describe any threats or consequences for not complying with the abuse/expectations” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 15 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT Other common threats included: threats to tell people about the images and/or show the images to others (14%); threats of harm to (or actual harm to) animals (11%); making the victim watch the abuse of other children or saying other children would be abused if the victim did not cooperate (11%). Examples of threats that were coded as “other” include threats that: • the offender, or his/her parent, would abandon the victim • other offenders may become involved who would be meaner/more abusive to the victim • the offender would commit suicide • the victim would have to recruit others who would follow the instructions • the offender would get in trouble (e.g. go to jail) Examples of consequences coded as “other” included consequences such as the offender insulting, humiliating or emotionally abusing the victim in some way, isolation of the victim, the offender refusing to get the victim medical attention, and the offender not allowing the victim to wear clothing. The responses of participants regarding threats contained a significant amount of detail. The threats made against the victim were far more than simple threats of punishment. Depraved and terrifying promises of harm were made that were exceedingly violent in nature. For example: • 67% of the victims who were threatened said the threat was that they would be physically harmed. Of those, 43% were told they would die or be killed if they did not comply • 25% of the victims who were threatened said the threat was that family members would be physically hurt if they did not comply. Of those, 55% were told the family member(s) would die or be killed • 14% of the victims who were threatened said the threat was that other people in their life would be physically hurt if they did not comply. Of those, 45% were told that those people would die or be killed. 20% of the victims who were threatened said the perpetrator either threatened to torture them, or did torture them. For those victims who reported being subjected to torture as a means of compliance the most common example given was being threatened with or subjected to electric shocks (4 victims). The next most common example involved water, e.g. : being hung upside down over water, being dunked/ held under water (3 victims). Other examples included choking, being buried alive or left for dead, etc. It is important to recognize that the threats of harm and torture described above were communicated to and interpreted through the eyes of a child. Through that lens, one can readily appreciate why the child would have felt s/he had to comply, and consequently why it might be incredibly difficult for a child in such a position to come forward for help. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 16 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT DID OFFENDER SAY ANYONE ELSE WOULD BE SHOWN THE IMAGERY? (N=72) REASONS OFFENDER GAVE VICTIM FOR SHOWING IMAGERY TO OTHERS (N=32) Multiple Responses per Respondent 47% Unsure 31% 22% 18% To trade, sell imagery 60% No Yes As a threat if victim told 22% As a threat if victim didn’t comply 16% To show others how bad/depraved the victim is 6% To “promote” the child to other sexual abusers The balance of responses were coded as “other”. Examples of responded coded as “other” include: to help find “friends” for the victim, because the victim was beautiful and others would pay to see the images, to use the images to teach others and to embarrass the victim. WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE VICTIM BELIEVING THE OFFENDER DISTRIBUTED THE IMAGERY (N=37) DID VICTIM BELIEVE OFFENDER DISTRIBUTED IMAGERY (N=66) Multiple Responses per Respondent 38% Unsure 27% 27% 12% Offender said they would 24% 61% No Victim witnessed it Yes Part of network 5% Other offenders requested 3% Live streamed abuse The balance of responses were coded as “other”. In these responses the respondent conveyed that s/he assumed or inferred that the offender had or would distribute the imagery from the circumstances REASON THE VICTIM BELIEVED THE OFFENDER COMMUNICATED WITH OTHER ABUSERS (N=50) DID VICTIM BELIEVE THE OFFENDER COMMUNICATED WITH OTHER ABUSERS? (N=86) Part of network (had customers/child sold regularly) 64% Unsure 20% 21% No Multiple Responses per Respondent 12% Offender said they were 14% Victim witnessed communications 67% Yes 8% Victim forced to communicate with other offenders 14% Other Examples of reasons coded as “other” include situations in which the respondent indicated that: the abuse was “live streamed”; the respondent was abused in-person by someone the offender had communicated with online; and because the victim knew the offender was involved in buying/selling child pornography or had a profit motive. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 17 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT Victim Impact While much research has been completed on the significant impact of child sexual abuse experiences on a person through their life, limited work has been done to understand the added effects of having that abuse recorded and potentially distributed online. It is clear from the information shared by survey participants that the recording/distribution of the abuse adds an extraordinary layer of trauma for survivors. Keeping in mind that the survivors shared information primarily in their own words (i.e. not through yes/no or multiple choice answers), they were tragically consistent in their descriptions of the constant fear and vulnerability that they live with as a result of there being a permanent record of the abuse experience. As one survivor who reported having been stalked and harassed online aptly stated ‘I’m justified in my paranoia.’ These survivors have to live with the reality that the abuse has been memorialized in a recording and that others, including other abusers, have likely seen the material. HOW DOES THE IMAGERY IMPACT DIFFERENTLY FROM HANDS-ON ABUSE (N=70) HOW DOES THE IMAGERY IMPACT YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE (N=77) Multiple Responses per Respondent Multiple Responses per Respondent 61% Distribution never ends/Images are permanent 39% 41% Fear being recognized/fear going out in public 38% 34% Powerlessness with imagery Do not feel safe/hypervigilant Affects all aspects of life/is a part of me 31% Sensitivity to photos 24% Added Shame and humiliation 30% Regular daily triggers 20% Feeling of being abused over and over Note: Six respondents provided responses indicating that the hands-on abuse was more impactful or there was no difference in the impact between the hands-on abuse and imagery. Other impacts shared by respondents that are not reflected in the graph include: feeling like they are being abused over and over (20%), feeling less safe overall (17%), always feeling exposed (13%), sickened by the knowledge that others are use the images for sexual purposes (13%), fear of being judged (11%). 25% Impacts shared by respondents that are not reflected in the graph include: distrust of others (24%), poor self-image (18%), Limited to no social contacts/isolation (18%), sleep disturbances (14%), and fear of recognition (14%). Examples coded as “other” include: anger, inability to set limits, moving, struggling to keep control, experiencing physical aches and pains. DO YOU WORRY ABOUT BEING RECOGNIZED BY SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN IMAGES OF THE ABUSE (N=83) IMPACT OF WORRYING ABOUT BEING RECOGNIZED (N=52) Multiple Responses per Respondent 21% No 21% 27% Difficulty performing tasks/communicating with others Worry about being stalked or harmed Suspicious anytime someone says recognizes her/him 17% Shame, ashamed, embarrassed, anxiety 62% 73% Yes Other Less common impacts included: limiting social interactions (15%), self-image (15%), limit going out in public (13%). Examples of responses coded as “other” include: adapted appearance (e.g., hair colour/style; baggy/plain clothes), hypervigilance in public, limiting of online activities, limited time in public or very cautious when in public, feelings of anger, feelings of fear, lack of trust, physical impacts tied to anxiety, and a fear that the victim may be charged with an offence. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 18 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IDENTIFIED ONLINE/IN PERSON BY SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN IMAGERY OF YOUR ABUSE? (N=81) Unsure Yes 25% IMPACT OF BEING IDENTIFIED ONLINE/IN-PERSON (N=30) Multiple Responses per Respondent 57% 30% 31% Further trauma Propositioned/further abuse/re-victimized 17% Fearful/had to hide 44% No 10% Blackmail/threats Note: Respondents were only asked about the impact of being identified. Specific details such as who had identified the respondent or how the respondent believed s/he had been identified were not requested. Nonetheless, at least 7 respondents indicated that the person who had identified her/him was a person who had an interest in sexually abusing him/her. IMPACT OF BEING TARGETED HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TARGETED (E.G., CONTACTED, THREATENED, PROPOSITIONED) BY SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN IMAGERY OF YOUR ABUSE? (N=39) Multiple Responses per Respondent Propositioned/further abuse/re-victimized 55% No 30% 36% 20% 64% 15% Yes Yes Further isolation Further trauma Note: Respondents were only asked about the impact of being targeted. Specific details such as who had targeted the respondent or the way in which the respondent was targeted were not requested. NEGATIVE IMPACTS (EDUCATION/ACADEMIC SUCCESS) (N=69) DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR ABUSE EXPERIENCE HAS IMPACTED YOUR EDUCATION/ACADEMIC SUCCESS? (N=82) No impact / No details Blackmail/threats Multiple Responses per Respondent Unable to complete schooling/ unable to complete level desired 53% 47% 4% 8% 26% 17% 88% Negative impact *Respondents coded as “yes” indicated that they believe they worked harder at their education because of their experience (some said they dissociated from the abuse in order to succeed). Difficulty concentrating/focusing Illnesses/breakdowns Absenteeism 10% Set backs/time off from school Less common impacts included: Difficulty with peers (6%), Fear (4%) and other (11%). Examples of responses coded as “other” include difficulty with male teachers and distrust of others. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 19 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR ABUSE EXPERIENCE HAS IMPACTED YOUR EMPLOYMENT? (N=78) Unknown, No impact / No details given Yes 1% 8% NEGATIVE IMPACTS (EMPLOYMENT) (N=71) 28% 14% 11% Negative impact 91% Respondents coded as “yes” indicated that they believe they worked harder at their job because of their experience (some said they dissociated from the abuse in order to succeed). Illnesses/breakdowns Too socially uncomfortable Difficulty maintaining a job 7% Fear of being recognized 15% Other Other negative impacts reported included: fear of being recognized (7%), too few options due to lack of education (4%), frequent absences (4%), unable to fulfil job requirements (3%). Examples of responses coded as “other” include avoiding jobs involving media or working below their level. DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR ABUSE EXPERIENCE HAS IMPACTED YOUR FRIENDSHIPS? (N=80) No Unable to work/incapacitated to work 46% NEGATIVE IMPACTS (FRIENDSHIPS) N=73) 60% Trust Unable to get close to people/superficial friendships 47% 7% 12% Don’t feel worthy 93% Yes 7% Socially isolated/fears of being in public 5% No friendships with males 22% Other “I was always concerned as I got older that if he ever did post anything that I could be recognized and that everything would be surfaced before I was ready. I was concerned about keeping my family together. So worried that if anyone found out my siblings and I would be separated into different foster homes. I didn’t even realized the turnoil that was truly going on inside. It’s so much easier to hide abuse if there’s no evidence of it.” – Survivor All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 20 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT HOW HAS YOUR ABUSE EXPERIENCE IMPACTED YOUR ROMANTIC/SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS? (N=83) HOW HAS YOUR ABUSE EXPERIENCE IMPACTED YOUR FAMILY LIFE? (N=70) Multiple Responses per Respondent Intimacy issues (sexual / unable/ struggle with engaging in sex acts) 53% 46% Emotional Intimacy issues Less trusting 31% 16% Intrusiveness of abuse and/or images during sex 14% Do not feel worthy 10% Other A few respondents (8) also indicated a high level of discomfort with her/his own body and with non-sexual physical intimacy. 24% No contact with family 19% 13% 10% 6% Unsupportive family Relationship issues with spouse No/minimal impact Parenting impacted 4% Closer relationships with family 4% Fear for safety of children from online offenders 4% Not able to parent (would like to) 3% Fear of children finding out 30% Other Note: 10% of respondents provided responses indicating that their feelings about sexuality were not affected by the imagery. Examples of responses coded as other include: confused sexual orientation, difficulty establishing/maintaining sexual boundaries; not wanting partner to see any images of respondent as a child, and a fear that partner may see the images and want to reenact. Many of the respondents were abused within a family context. A separate analysis was conducted to determine if there was a material difference in the way this question was answered by those respondents who had been abused by a family member as opposed to those respondents abused outside of a family context. Analysis is ongoing, but at this stage of analysis it appears that the majority of both types of respondents either have no contact with their family or an unsupportive family. Analysis of this information is ongoing. Examples of responses coded as other include: not wanting to be in family photos, not allowing photos of children, and family unaware of the abuse. “The scariest enemy is the one you cannot see, but know is there. That type of threat causes much more anxiety and paranoia because it’s unpredictable. It is exhausting.” – Survivor All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 21 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT ARE YOU CURRENTLY IN THERAPY? (N=113) DO YOU ANTICIPATE NEEDING ONGOING/FUTURE THERAPY? (N=111) Unsure No No 36% Yes 11% 7% 64% 82% Yes HAVE YOU SEEN MORE THAN ONE THERAPIST? (N=113) No WHAT IS THE REASON FOR SEEING ANOTHER THERAPIST? (N=95) Therapist(s) unable to address issues (didn’t understand/couldn’t cope/no expertise) 47% 11% 89% Yes 22% Therapist/Treatment was not a fit 21% Moved 16% To progress further/try new therapies 15% Therapist no longer available (moved, retired, deceased, on leave, ill) 18% Other Responses not reflected in the graph include reasons such as misdiagnosis, routine transition to a new service/system, not being able to cope/not ready, being encouraged by another individual and because the therapist didn’t believe the victim. Responses coded as “other” included: respondent felt ready to stop therapy (4%), financial reasons (3%), had felt ready to stop but experienced a trigger (4%) (examples of triggers: legal proceedings, medical intervention, contact with offender, pregnancy), abuse by therapist (2%), therapist connected to offenders (2%), therapist was afraid of offenders (2%), therapist would not treat victim until s/he reached age 18. DOES YOUR THERAPIST KNOW ABOUT IMAGERY? (N=104) No IS THE IMPACT OF THE IMAGERY DISCUSSED IN THERAPY (N=81) No 16% 49% 51% 84% Yes All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. Yes 22 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT Uncovering Abuse AT WHAT AGE WAS THE HANDS-ON CHILD ABUSE DISCLOSED/UNCOVERED (N=126) 2% 0-4 14% 33% 70% 5-11 12-17 45% of respondents indicated that the imagery was not discovered at the same time as the hands-on abuse (n=94) 18+ 4% NO RESPONSE PROVIDED 52% In addition, of respondents indicated that the imagery has either not been or s/he does not know if the imagery was ever uncovered. 2% Never Note: One respondent reported on two different abuse situations. “I thought about it every day. If teachers or someone had been more involved with me and had a bond with me explaining early on what’s right and what’s not. Being a little more direct, making sure kids actually understand what you’re teaching them and they won’t get into any trouble. More reassurance. If I had a good relationship with someone and if they asked me directly I might have told. If I thought I would be believed. The kid seems to have to prove it to be believed instead of being believed until proven otherwise.” – Survivor “The public should know that when a child is abused it’s very hard for them to heal. They don’t have the life lessons to teach them responses and they surely don’t’ have a very loud voice. It’s a very hard topic but we need to make sure people are talking about it. It’s easy to tell a child the difference between good touch and bad touch, but they also need a safe place to go and tell their stories without dismissal or judgement. A lot of the times these children are betrayed by people who they love and are supposed to love them, we need to make sure they do not feel like they are being punished after they come forward. “ – Survivor All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 23 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT HOW WAS THE HANDS-ON ABUSE UNCOVERED (N=92)* 79% Victim disclosed* 12% Someone discovered it 5% Images discovered 5% Another victim of same offender disclosed 4% Other Note: Two (of 92) respondents who provided a response to this question indicated that the hands-on abuse had not been uncovered. Examples of responses coded as “other” include: the offender had communicated with another person online; when the victim give birth to a child; and when the victim found images as an adult. *While 79% of respondents indicated that the hands-on abuse was uncovered because they told someone about it (i.e., disclosed), it is important to note that not all victims told while they were children or while the abuse was happening, and the abuse did not always stop once the victim told someone. In order to understand the context in which the disclosure may have been made, some additional analysis was performed, using data shared by the respondent in the question that was asked and in response to other questions of the survey. The results of the additional analysis is as follows: WAS ABUSE STILL HAPPENING WHEN THE DISCLOSURE WAS MADE (N=73) Unknown WAS THE RESPONDENT AN ADULT OR A CHILD AT THE TIME OF DISCLOSURE (N=73) Yes 37% 18% Child Adult 53% 38% 44% 10% Unable to determine* No For those respondents whose age at the time of disclosure could not be determined (7), the abuse had ended for one at the time of disclosure, and it could not be determined if abuse had ended or not at the time of disclosure for the remaining 6 respondents. IF RESPONDENT WAS A CHILD, WAS THE ABUSE STILL HAPPENING AT THE TIME OF DISCLOSURE? (N=27) Unable to determine Yes IF RESPONDENT WAS AN ADULT, WAS THE ABUSE STILL HAPPENING AT THE TIME OF DISCLOSURE? (N=39) Unable to determine 11% 26% No IF DISCLOSED AS A CHILD AND THE ABUSE WAS STILL HAPPENING, DID ABUSE STOP AFTER DISCLOSURE? (N=17) Yes Yes 8% 35% 28% 63% 65% 64% No No All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 24 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT WAS A POLICE REPORT MADE (N=106) WHY WAS A REPORT NOT MADE TO POLICE? (N=65) Multiple Responses per Respondent 40% 37% 63% Fear 12% Threats 12% No strength 12% Not believed/fear not believed 12% No support 34% Other Additional reasons for not reporting to police include: did not want to go through the legal system (11%), the offender had died (11%), lack of emotional/mental stability (8%), didn’t have proof (9%), statute of limitations (8%), dissociative identity disorder diagnosis (6%), and victim advised against filing (5%). Examples of responses coded as “other” include: presence of multiple unknown offenders, the victim no longer lived in the jurisdiction, the victim had difficulty articulating the experience, victim feared s/he would be viewed as an offender, victim’s concern for how a report would impact her/his family, limited memory, due to the relationship between the offender and victim (e.g. familial offender such as father) and due to the status of offender (e.g., perceived by victim as influential in the community). WERE CRIMINAL CHARGES FILED? (N=40) WHAT WAS THE REASON CHARGES WERE NOT FILED? (N=24) Multiple Responses per Respondent 33% Not enough evidence 25% 55% 45% 20% Influence/interference 20% Disclosure not credible/Victim not believed 17% Victim did not want to proceed 17% Statute of limitations 8% Note: participants were only eligible to answer this question if they indicated they had filed a police report, or if they had not answered the question about filing a police report. Police/prosecutor did not pursue complaint 21% Offender deceased Other Examples of responses coded as other include: improper storage of evidence, problematic evidence from victim (e.g., arising from dissociation by victim, gaps in memory or general problems of the victim in reporting the offence), and police thought it would be too dangerous for the victim if they moved forward. I don’t know you and I don’t trust you; nonetheless, if I were to report it to you I’d have to tell you humiliating, painful things about myself. Perhaps an investigation would then be started, lasting months or years, and possibly a trial. If that resulted in a conviction that would be a couple of years of prison. So do you really think I’m crazy to just keep my mouth shut? And that it will possibly take me years to break the silence after all for something like this?” – Survivor, in response to the question “What do you want police to know” All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 25 SURVIVORS’ SURVEY - PRELIMINARY REPORT CONCLUSION The misuse of technology has accelerated the propagation of child sexual abuse images, contributed to normalizing the sexualization of children, and made it abundantly easier for offenders around the world to actively participate in this illegal behaviour. The evolving advantages of technology, combined with the shield of anonymity, have created an imbalance between adult offenders and our ability to keep children safe. We have had 128 survivors whose sexual abuse was recorded came forward to share their unique experiences through the survey. The information shared provided valuable insight into the daily struggles faced by this population and the significant impact that the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse images has on their lives. The critically important information from the Survivors’ Survey points to the urgent need for countries around the world to confront and identify additional solutions that will effect meaningful change for survivors going forward. Our ability to adapt from a policy, legislative and therapeutic perspective will determine how well positioned we are to protect children in the future. Advancing the knowledge of those working in sectors such as education, medicine, law enforcement, and the justice system is vital if we hope to find concrete ways to ensure children are better protected from sexual abuse and exploitation. Given the importance of hearing directly from survivors and sharing the information with professionals in a position to assist children, we have decided to leave the survey open. We are committed to learning from those victimized in this way and believe that the collective voice of survivors around the world is essential to effecting real change. WHAT SURVIVORS HAD TO SAY AFTER COMPLETING THE SURVEY: “Doing this survey means giving a voice not only to my own inner child but all survivors. This is a new form of abuse that only we as survivors truly understand right now. This survey allowed me a safe place to express thoughts and needs so others know how to help. This survey has left me with hope and relief that healing can be a little easier for myself and others.” – Survivor “It was very good for me. It allowed me to actually tell people what I felt with no real barriers. It also gave me a sense of empowerment over some of what happened.” – Survivor “Thank you that I could be part of your survey… it was hard to fill in the survey, but at the end also rewarding.” – Survivor “You thanked me for taking the time to complete the survey, but I am so glad that there are people who start this survey and I hope it will give lots of information to help the children of today. So I would like to thank you for your work and I wish you all the best.” – Survivor All data is preliminary and subject to change. Refer to the notice on the inside front cover for additional restrictions. 26