Rolling out the red carpet: Non-criminal partners and affected family members as allies in the disruption

Background:

In Australia, there is a lack of research into the impact on law enforcement officers (LEO) and agencies (LEA) working with families affected by child sexual abuse. PartnerSPEAK is Australia’s only specialist, not-for-profit, peer-led agency that advocates for the secondary victims or non-criminal partners and affected family members (NOP/AFM) of those who engage in online child sexual exploitation (OSEC).

Objective:

This research examines the interactions between Australian specialist OSEC LEO and NOP/AFM perpetrators in OSEC and how these impact the wellbeing and effectiveness of investigations.

Setting and participants:

For this research, 48 Australian OSEC specialists from the Australian Federal Police, Border Protection and local law enforcement agencies were interviewed online.

Design:

This study used a mixed-methods design, with quantitative scaled responses and qualitative open-ended questions via an online survey.

Results:

Results showed that researchers reported that responding to families was more stressful than viewing OSEC. Additionally, positive relationships with NOP/AFM improved well-being and justice outcomes. However, given the study design, methods, and sample size, we were unable to determine statistical significance from the findings.

Conclusions:

Responding to non-offending family members is not an adjunct to the investigator’s role, but rather an integral part of OSEC investigations. Therefore, we recommend that law enforcement leadership prioritize improving the procedures and well-being of investigators and non-offending family members affected by OSEC investigations. This study provides initial evidence to explore this topic and, as such, has meaningful practical implications for law enforcement and opportunities to build upon these findings.