Designing Effective Digital Advertisements to Prevent Online Consumption of Child Sexual Exploitation Material

The necessity of developing effective and innovative primary prevention strategies is a pressing objective in stemming the harm caused by the production and consumption of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM). Digital media interventions - including search engine advertisements - hold promise as prevention tools to deflect potential users away from CSEM and redirect them to therapeutic services. This study aimed to establish an evidence base for effective advertising in this context by creating mock-up helpline advertisements and testing them in focus groups and interviews with staff and clients of New Zealand's major treatment service providers for harmful sexual behavior. Prior to testing these advertisements in situ (on online platforms), this paper reports on a foundational creative and qualitative investigation of effective advertisements - what imagery, text, and design features are most likely to succeed in diverting people away from seeking CSEM and encouraging them to reach out to a helpline? The findings of this study offer deeper understanding of the mindset, emotions, and barriers to reaching out that are experienced by onset CSEM users, as well as suitability of certain imagery and text for advertising in this context, and thereby contribute to strengthening primary prevention efforts in combatting CSEM consumption.