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Our June 2023 Brown Bag event covered the key topic of artificial intelligence (AI) which is currently in the spotlight due to its wide applications across aspects of life such as business, education and law enforcement.
Our presenter, Colm Gannon discussed the regulatory landscape, the risks and the potential harms of AI, especially in the case of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Colm is an AI/Machine Learning expert, working as a Product Manager with Irish technology company, Rigr AI. He has over 20 years’ experience in Law Enforcement, involved in national and international investigations and prosecutions relating to online harms, child sexual abuse and exploitation, violent extremism, and harmful online communications.
Colm’s presentation examined the impacts that AI is having on the generation of CSAM and ways that AI can be positively, safely and successfully applied by law enforcement and the financial services industries in the detection, reporting and prosecution of CSE.
View the recording below.
Our May 2023 Brown Bag event discussed the importance of preventing image-based sexual violence and the impact this issue has on children and young people. With a focus on the extent of harms victim-survivors of this extreme form of abuse endure, this session featured key takeaways from survivors and advocates on the path towards justice and healing. As the ways we are able to connect online expand, so do the risks to children and young people.
The session brought a global perspective to inform our local response, and shared how different organisations, companies, and individuals working in this space can collaborate to move toward the greater goal of protecting children from this online harm that creates real-life, devastating consequences.
Andrea Powell, Director of the Image-based Sexual Abuse Initiative at Panorama Global, shared her wealth of knowledge from working extensively with victim-survivors of sexual violence. Andrea’s presentation shared her vision of a world where children and young people are free from the enduring trauma that results from image-based abuse, and other types of online harm.
View the recording of this informative session below.
After her informative presentation at our first Monthly Brown Bag session, we sat down with Dr Kerry McCallum to expand on her research into media reporting on child sexual abuse.
This expert interview paper takes a deeper dive into the influence that media discourse can have on public perception and awareness of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and how it can affect victim-survivors.
Since our event in February, Dr McCallum and her team at the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra have published the Media Guidelines for reporting on child sexual abuse, commissioned by the National Office for Child Safety (NOCS), which you can find here.
Download a copy of this examination into news reporting, public perception, awareness, and how the response community can contribute to better outcomes for children.
Understanding the motivations of people who seek out, produce or encourage the creation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a key aspect in informing our methods and practices in the CSE response ecosystem. The ever-evolving nature of this heinous crime necessitates an up-to-date response, as the ways that offenders use technology to abuse children is constantly changing.
Research into the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) is a vital piece of the puzzle in detecting and identifying perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Our March 2023 event focused on understanding the perpetrator behaviours and tactics that are essential to those working to detect, prosecute and prevent this crime. We were joined by Dr Sarah Napier from the Australian Institute of Criminology, who presented the findings of her extensive research into offender behaviour, and the emerging trends in the area.
View the recording below.
Using appropriate language and applying a victim-centric approach when engaging in public discourse surrounding the heinous crime of child sexual abuse and exploitation is critical to raising awareness, reducing stigma and empowering victim survivors to share their personal experiences.
Our inaugural Monthly Brown Bag event featured Dr Kerry McCallum, Director of the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra. Dr McCallum presented on the importance of using appropriate terminology in relation to child sexual exploitation and shared insights from her team’s research project, commissioned by the National Office for Child Safety (NOCS), which included a literature review and quantitative and qualitative analysis of media coverage on child sexual abuse over a two‑year period.
You can access the recording of Kerry’s insightful and informative presentation below. Having difficult conversations about the sexual abuse of children is a critical aspect of creating awareness of this crime, But it is essential that public discourse of this topic be trauma-informed and incorporate appropriate language.
The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is a horrific crime that requires a strong legislative response. The difficulties that exist in detecting, reporting, prosecuting, and ultimately preventing, child sexual exploitation cannot be tackled by one institution alone – collaboration between key industry partners is critical to yield the most comprehensive protection of children.
Our discussion paper, “The intersection between child protection and Australia’s legislative landscape”, examines the current legal response (as at January 2023) to child sexual exploitation and its implications on financial institutions’ ability to report suspicious activity.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has been undertaking the stringent process of creating Industry standards for online safety. Since the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2021, the Commissioner has worked on the Codes in consultation with Industry, sector stakeholders and members of the public, public consultation, to tackle the most serious online content – including child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
ICMEC Australia published this discussion paper about the process of developing the industry codes. Since this paper was written in November 2022, the eSafety Commissioner has made its final decision regarding the implementation of the codes. As at June 2023, the Commissioner decided to register six of the eight proposed codes which were deemed to adequately provide community safeguards. Read the media release from eSafety here.
This process has emphasised the importance of cross-industry collaboration, and ICMEC Australia is committed to being part of the ongoing conversation to ensure children are protected from online abuse and exploitation.
ICMEC Australia acknowledges Traditional Owners throughout Australia and their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and Elders past and present.
