International and internet child sexual abuse and exploitation - issues emerging from research

There has, in recent years, been growing awareness and concern over cases of child sexual
abuse (CSA) and exploitation1 which involve an international or internet dimension. These
include child trafficking,2 child sex tourism,3 child abuse images4 (CAI), and g rooming.5 In
terms of official recognition, these are relatively new risks to children, and ostensibly quite
major ones. Governments, law enforcement and welfare agencies, voluntary bodies and
industry have responded by implementing or advocating a plethora of policy and practice
measures.6 In light of this level of concern and intervention, this article seeks to establish what
is known regarding the extent and nature of these cases, and examines the subsequent
organisational response. It does this by drawing upon the authors’ ongoing research in this
area, other (completed) research and the wider literature.