Stop it Now! A programme to prevent child sexual abuse in the UK and Netherlands – originating in the US

Talking to abusers: The role of the Stop it Now! Helpline in protecting children from online abuse, UK & NLDr Caroline Paskell

NatCen Social Research, UK

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Subject and purpose of presentation

SubjectA public-health helpline to prevent child sexual abuseEvidence from research in UK and NL, but focus on UKAttention to helpline users who pose risk, esp. online

PurposeDiscuss the role within broader prevention strategy Identify relevance and opportunities for use elsewhere

Stop it Now! UK & NL

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Stop it Now! UK and NL

Public health approach to CSA

Public awareness campaign, helpline with target groups, and referral to specific support

UK: online monitoring software specific provision to parents,

UK established 2002, following basis of Stop it Now! in USA

Catalysed founding in 2012 of Stop it Now! Netherlands

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Stop it Now! UK and NL helplines PurposeAnonymous information, advice, support & guidanceAnyone concerned about child sexual abuse Target groups include people concerned for a child, or about

another person’s behaviour or about themselves

Delivery First phase: telephone and email provision (Stop!/InHope)Second phase: more specialised/therapeutic/psychologicalGateway to other services: LFF/de Waag & other agencies

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Profile of Stop! UK helpline users

Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and emails), 2013

Caller group Calls Callers

  N % N %

Concerned about own behaviour 3,493 56% 1445 41%

Concerned about own behaviour (July-

Sept 2014). 59% . .

Concerned about child/young person's

behaviour273 4% 198 6%

Concerned a child may have been abused 236 4% 201 6%

Professionals 331 5% 303 9%

Survivors of child sexual abuse 156 2% 124 4%

Other callers 357 6% 301 9%

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Overview of study

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Study aims and EU co-funding

Aims Inform and enhance efforts to tackle child sexual abuseBy investigating operation and impact of the Stop it

Now! helplines in UK and NetherlandsAnd devising a toolkit to support similar provision

elsewhere

FundingEU financial support for activities with a focus on justice Daphne III programme aims to contribute to protection

of children, young people and women against violence

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Project partners Lucy Faithfull Foundation

de Waag

The Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (Berlin)

Save the Children Finland

Achieved sample: UK

Number taking part in interviews/ focus groups

Number completing questionnaire

Adults concerned about behaviour 32 (all known: 29 online) 50

Other adults who can help prevent 14 19

Victims/survivors of CSA 0 4

Professionals 1 27

Reason for calling unknown N/A 12

Total 47 112

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User feedback in UK: 32 interviews, 2 focus groups, 112 questionnaires

User feedback in NL: 14 interviews/questionnaires + admin data on 254

Effects

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Theoretical framework Offenders & offences vary; risk of offending is dynamic;

but:

Protective factors that may support desistence from sexual offending (de Vries Robbe et al, 2013). Healthy sexual interests

Constructive social/professional support network

Good problem solving 

Abstention from drug/alcohol misuse 

Capacity for emotional intimacy and satisfying relationships with other adults

Capacity to set goals and work towards their achievement 

Engagement in constructive and rewarding employment or other activities 

Hopeful, optimistic and motivated attitude to desistence 

Improved wellbeing/abili

ty to self manage

Recognise

risky behaviour

Belief in ability to change

Techniques to

manage behaviour Changed

behaviour /circumstan

ce

Reduced risk

Helpline

Other services e.g.•Inform, Inform Plus Securus•GP, mental health specialist, social services

Recognise risk

I'd convinced myself that …the pictures…I'd looked at, there was no victim

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Belief in change

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…there is someone to talk to, to say, 'Right, you know? There are steps you need to do to address these demons’ - you know?

Techniques to manage behaviour

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I'm not saying I'm ever going to be cured, but the strategies are in place to stop me reoffending now.

I'm 22 and want to learn to cope with my sexual interest in children so I will never harm them.

Changed behaviour

Of the 32 people who answered this part of the questionnaire, two thirds reported ‘they felt more able to manage their sexual thoughts’ and ‘more able to manage their sexual behaviour’ since using Stop!

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• No access to pornography• Reduce time online• Displacement activity – gym,

reading

Strengthen other protective factors

Social networks Relationships Meaningful activity

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Public promotion

Enabling helpline use: general advertising

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Posters in public buildings such as GP surgeries

Information where people can note it in private

Billboards

TV, radio and print media

Raising profile of helpline among professionals

Enabling helpline use: posters

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Enabling helpline use: media campaigns

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TV adverts produced by Stop! NL and the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld.

Google Adwords: Stop it Now!

Two adverts running against 129 keywords

Splash Pages and Warning Banners

Recognise risk of detection

Deter use of online CSA

images

Recognise behaviour as problematic

Engage with prevention

services

Recognise support available to address behaviour

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Splash Pages and Warning Banners

Splash Pages/Warning Banners likely to be most effective when:

Early intervention

Capacity to manage

behaviour

High motivation to desist

Statement about illegality/ harm + encouragement

to seek help

If you would like further information please visit the website:

www.stopitnow-evaluation.co.uk

Or email

caroline.paskell@natcen.ac.uk

Thank you

Wider relevance

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Profile of Stop! UK helpline users

Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and emails), 2013

Caller group Calls Callers

  N % N %

Concerned about own behaviour 3,493 56% 1445 41%

Concerned about own behaviour (July-

Sept 2014). 59% . .

Concerned about child/young person's

behaviour273 4% 198 6%

Concerned a child may have been abused 236 4% 201 6%

Professionals 331 5% 303 9%

Survivors of child sexual abuse 156 2% 124 4%

Other callers 357 6% 301 9%

Profile of users who have offended online

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Ongoing increase in users posing online risk

Report from Stop it Now! UK, 2014

“In comparison with the same quarter last year [July-September] the number of people contacting the Helpline who have offended online increased by 35% and those concerned that their Internet use is out of control increased by 46%.”

Graph shows Number of new callers who were concerned about their own behaviour, offline and online

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Toolkit

A toolkit to assist people across Europe to develop helplines which suit their specific national or local context has been developed from the research.

The toolkit does not set out a single model of operation, but outlines key points to consider in developing a suitable helpline for a particular nation, area or user group.

Can be downloaded from www.stopitnow-evaluation.co.uk

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Overview

Step 1: Mapping the context

Step 2: Defining the aims and objectives

Step 3: Identifying the most suitable design

Step 4: Structuring the delivery

Step 5: Promoting the helpline

Step 6: Resourcing the helpline

Step 7: Monitoring and evaluating the helpline