Five Forms of Coerced ‘Self-Produced’ Child Sexual Exploitation Material: A Critical Interpretative Synthesis

This review examined how the phenomenon of coerced “self-produced” child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) has been constructed in the literature using Critical Interpretative Synthesis. Selected keywords were systematically searched in relevant databases. The types of papers included were: peer-reviewed research articles; conceptual papers; commentary papers; theses; book chapters; systematic reviews; and government reports. Papers published in English between January 2005 and November 2022 were included. The initial search yielded 1,021 papers, after two reviewers applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 38 papers were selected for the final sample. The findings indicated five forms of coerced “self-produced” CSEM: Solicitation; Peer Sexting; Viral Challenge; Sextortion; and Financial Coercion. The forms are described and critically analyzed through an “Accountability Lens”. This Lens was developed to be victim-centred, including identifying the coercive actions of the person responsible for the exploitation. The research found that there is no consistent, victim-centred approach to understanding the phenomenon of coercive, ‘self-produced’ CSEM. This approach would ensure that children are not held responsible for exploitation.