Charity helps men to stop viewing child porn

Stop it now Charity logo

Stop It Now!, a child sexual abuse prevention campaign was contacted by 36 men in Scotland between April and August to get help to stop looking at indecent images of children (IIOC). This makes up just over seven per cent of the 491 calls the charity received UK wide.

Another 15 adults contacted the helpline to express concern over the online behaviour of another adult.

These figures point to a broader UK trend of significantly increased online viewing and sharing of child abuse images. Latest estimates from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) indicate that 50,000 individuals in the UK were involved in downloading or sharing IIOC material in 2013.

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation work towards protecting children

In the face of this growing demand, Stop it Now! has launched a major new campaign which aims to tackle the growing problem of child pornography head on.

As part of the campaign, Stop it Now! has produced a series of innovative films, which will deter would-be offenders by making clear:

The campaign is clear. There are no grey areas – viewing or sharing a sexual image of someone under 18 is illegal.

The charity reinforce that this is not a victimless crime – the experience is extremely harmful to children involved.

Welcoming the launch of the campaign, Director of Research and Development at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Donald Findlater, said: “However many benefits digital technology offers, we know it is also used to cause great harm. Whilst we have tough laws concerning child sexual abuse, as well as the viewing, sharing and making of indecent images of children, we know that tens of thousands of people (mostly men) go online to access this material regularly.

“This campaign is designed to stop as many of them as possible, by clarifying what the law says; by telling them of the harm done to children by making and viewing this material; by bluntly showing them some of the likely consequences of their behaviour on their families and themselves; and by directing those who are struggling to stop to anonymous, free, confidential resources that can help.

“But the campaign needs the public to play their part – by talking about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it. And by being alert to the signs that a loved one may be viewing sexual images of children online and knowing how to respond.”

Since 2002 Stop it Now! say they have helped thousands of people to change their behaviour towards children, both directly as well as online. It has also provided support, advice and information to families and friends concerned about a loved one’s behaviour.

The campaign has enhanced its confidential and anonymous website, offering an even wider range of online resources, designed to help those troubled by their online behaviour to stop. The website also provides support and information to friends and families with concerns.