Examining the ecosystem of live streamed child sexual abuse
The live streaming of child sexual abuse has been a significant problem internationally for more than a decade. It typically involves a child coerced to participate in sexual activities that are transmitted live and watched by others remotely, in return for payment. This research develops a conceptual framework that describes the live streaming of child sexual abuse ecosystem, based on a review of the existing literature. It identifies four key entities whose interactions are necessary for the continued existence of the ecosystem—victim‑survivors, facilitators, consumers and the community. Understanding the relationships between these entities can help to identify points of intervention. Service providers—a fifth entity in the ecosystem—supply the technological infrastructure that allows live streamed child sexual abuse to exist and offer the means by which the problem could be addressed.
