A Review of Digital Interventions as Secondary Prevention Measures to Combat Online Child Sexual Abuse Perpetration

Interventions implemented in the digital space play an important role in the response to global concerns about the prevalence of online child sexual abuse. Digital detection software (e.g. Sweetie) utilized to combat this behavior is a well-known example. Far fewer examples of digital interventions focused on its prevention exist. This review sought to identify digital interventions currently being implemented that aim to prevent online child sexual abuse, or intervene early, through deterrence and redirection. Guided by the PRISMA scoping review framework, a search was conducted across four databases, with snowballing from reference lists of selected sources. After exclusion criteria were applied, six sources were selected for review. Findings suggest that digital interventions (e.g. warning messages and chatbots) can be used to deter and redirect individuals at-risk of, or in the early stages of engaging in online child sexual abuse, with greater deterrent effects observed when messaging aligns with situational crime prevention principles. However, limited application and evaluation of these interventions to date constrains inferences regarding the impact of these prevention efforts. To supplement findings, several other emerging examples of digital interventions and conceptual/theoretical works (that did not meet the original inclusion criteria) are cited. Findings of this review should be considered alongside these other examples to inform the ongoing design and scaling up of digital interventions aimed at preventing online child sexual abuse.