Guide to Reporting CSAM
Support for those who encounter or seek out illegal content online
Seeing child sexual abuse material (better known as CP or child pornography) online can be distressing, but it can also be an opportunity to reduce the spread of harmful content and protect abuse survivors. This guide can help you report CSAM if you encounter it and find support if the experience is negatively impacting you. At the bottom, there are resources listed for people who need additional help to stop viewing CSAM.
Filing a Report
Make sure the content is reportable
False reports to groups that investigate and document CSAM waste valuable resources that would be better spent addressing actual child abuse. Use the following rules to determine whether the content in question needs to be reported. Never share CSAM or suspected CSAM with others, even to ask them to report it, as this is illegal.
Always report content that contains one or more real minors engaged in sexual activities.
Never report a drawing or 3D render, unless you have reason to believe a real child was abused in its creation. Reports of drawn and rendered content clog up processing queues and make it harder for actual cases of child abuse to be identified and investigated.
If someone sends you a link to what they claim is CSAM, report it without clicking.
Not all potential CSAM will fall neatly into one of these categories. As a general rule, if there is evidence that a real minor is being abused, report the content.
If you determine that the content needs to be reported, continue to the next step.
Report the content to the platform where you encountered it
When you encounter illegal content on a popular social media or messaging platform, the built-in reporting system is usually the fastest way to get it removed. Different platforms have different procedures for reporting CSAM. This page contains more detailed instructions for reporting CSAM to popular internet platforms.
Report the content to law enforcement
Many countries maintain internet hotlines where people can report CSAM. These reports are shared with law enforcement agencies and other groups that can investigate and take action. You can find your country's hotline using INHOPE's Hotline Referral tool.
Focus on your mental health
It's not uncommon for people who have been exposed to CSAM to experience negative thoughts and emotions in the months following the exposure. For most people, these will go away over time, however, if they last for a long period of time or begin to interfere with your life, you should consider talking to a therapist.
Some people experience intrusive thoughts about the possibility of being a pedophile or child sexual abuser after being exposed to CSAM. Remember that encountering this content does not automatically make you a pedophile or increase your likelihood of being an abuser. However, if you do experience attractions to minors, you may benefit from these resources (be aware that many support groups prohibit admissions of viewing CSAM) and our blog.
If you are intentionally viewing CSAM and need help to stop, check out the resources below
Help for Viewers
Some people develop a habit of viewing CSAM and find that they need professional help to stop. Thanks to advances in research and emerging approaches to preventing the spread of CSAM online, there are now a number of support options available to these individuals.Â
Prevent It
An experimental therapy program to help participants reduce or eliminate their use of illegal content. It is entirely online and works on Tor to protect anonymity.
Therapy Resources
We list resources that are known to be safe for MAPs, but recommend reaching out anonymously to ensure you don't risk being reported for viewing CSAM.