ReDirection Self-Help Program

The ReDirection Self-Help Program is an anonymous rehabilitative program which aims to help you adopt a lifestyle without child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The program will teach you how to take control of your emotions, thoughts and behavior in order to ‘ReDirect’ you away from using CSAM. Throughout this program you will learn about what leads you to use CSAM, why you should stop using CSAM, and ultimately how you can go about changing your behavior to stop using CSAM in the long term. A total of 14 tasks will help you reflect on your process and put new skills into practice. See COPINE scale (below) for the types of CSAM.

The ReDirection Self-Help Program has been developed by a team of senior specialist psychologists and psychotherapists and is based on cognitive behavioral theory. The program incorporates the results of the anonymous Help us to help you survey on the users of CSAM. We have gathered data from over 7,200 respondents to learn about the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of individuals who search for and use CSAM. Significantly, we found that around 50% of respondents said that they had at some point tried to stop their use of CSAM but had been unable to do so. This program has been created to provide guidance to those who have the motivation to change but need help in making sustainable long-lasting behavioral change.

The COPINE¹ Scale categorization of images of sexual content in images of children

1. Everyday images

Images in which children are in underwear or bathing suits in everyday situations and environments. Children have not been photographed for sexual purposes but these publicly available images of children are used for illegitimate purposes.

2. Nude or art images

Images of nude or partially nude children. These images include studio photos, artistic or other nude pictures of children. Children have not been photographed for sexual purposes, but these publicly available images of children are sed for illegitimate purposes.

3. Voyeuristic images

Covertly photographed images of partially dressed children. The images portray children in everyday situations and envieronments, for example at the playground, at the beach or engaged in a hobby. The images are often focused in the crotch or chest area of the child.

4. Posing images

Purposefully produced sexualizing images of fully clothed, partially nude or nude children. Children are dressed in adult lingerie or other accessories not suitable for the child's age and developmental stage.

5. Sexualizing posing images

Purposefully produced nude or partially nude sexualizing images of children. Children are posed in sexualizing positions, for example with their legs spread or their buttocks raised, or in adult lingerie, high heels or in other accessories not suitable for the child's age and developmental stage.

6. Strongly sexualizing posing images

Purposefully produced strongly sexualizing images of children, where the focus is the child's genital area or anus. Children are ordered to pose with their legs spread or their buttocks raised, their genital area either visible or partially covered.

7. Images portraying sexual violence without an adult

Images in which one or more children are portrayed without adults. The images depict sexual violence, such as touching of the genital area, masturbation or penetration.

8. Images portraying sexual violence

Images where an adult touches the child's body / genital area, or where the child touches the adult's body / genital area.

9. Images portraying gross sexual violence

Images which portray sexual violence inflicted upon a child by an adult, through for example touching of the genital area, penetration or rape of the child. Images depicting sexual violence including the use of instruments.

10. Images portraying sadistic and brutal sexual violence

Images, where a child is being subjected to sexual violence, including other physical violence. Gross rape of a child. Pain is being inflicted on the child, for instance by binding, hitting, whipping or involving bestiality. The use of animals or instruments may be present.

1. COPINE stands for "Combating Paedophile information networks in Europe", a project in which the University of Cork, in cooperation with the Paedophile Unit of the London Metrpolitan police, developed a scale for categorizing images to use in both research and in the English criminal justice system. The scale from 1-10 was developed against the background of images collected from the internet and newsgroups. This version of the COPINE scale has been adapted from the original COPINE scale by Protect Children (Suojellaan Lapsia ry) senior specialists.

Concern Assessment Questionnaire

Do you have concerns about your use of CSAM? Answer this short concern assessment questionnaire to see whether the ReDirection Self-Help Program could be helpful for you.

Should I be worried about my online behavior related to viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)? Do I need help?

Do you use violent images or videos imagery that contains CSAM or images that sexualize children?
Are you concerned about your use of CSAM?
Have you tried to stop using CSAM and not been able to do so?
Have you experienced the need to act on your desires after using the CSAM?
Do you experience anxiety, depression, or shame about using CSAM?
Do you use drugs when using CSAM?
Do you feel that you are unable to control your thoughts, emotions or actions related to CSAM?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, this self-help program might help you to reflect and find ways to control your online behavior. In addition to the ReDirection self-help program, we encourage you to apply for additional support. You can find more information and links to other support in the end of this program under heading "Other means to support wellbeing".

No personal information will be collected, and users cannot be identified or tracked in any way.

The quotes used in this ReDirection Self-Help Program are quotes from CSAM users who have answered our Help us to help you ReDirection survey (2021) in the dark web. Some comments have been edited for clarity.

Overview of the ReDirection Self-Help Program

The ReDirection Program consists of three sections, each with several tasks for you to learn and apply new skills on how to stop your use of CSAM.

Section 1: My use of CSAM and what do I think of it?

Section 1 looks at your use of CSAM and your views and concerns about your behavior. You will be asked to reflect on your concerns about using CSAM, your life at the moment, and your core values. You will also be asked to consider some different perspectives on the use of CSAM, including society’s perspective and the victim’s perspective. The aim of this section is to explore your own motives for seeking rehabilitation, and to set meaningful goals for your future. This section contains four tasks for you to complete at your own pace.

Section 2: Underlying factors and the pathway to CSAM-use

Section 2 examines why people use CSAM and how different internal and external factors can lead you to use CSAM. These factors make up a path that leads you to use CSAM. The aim of this section is for you to understand the factors, motivations, reasons, situations, and triggers that lead you to use CSAM. By understanding why you use CSAM, you can take control of your own actions and make long-term changes to stop using CSAM. This section contains five tasks for you to complete at your own pace.

Section 3: A ReDirection of my life: How can I stop using CSAM?

Section 3 helps you to set goals and concrete steps for your rehabilitative journey away from using CSAM. This section will help you make concrete changes to your behavior and ensure that these changes are long-lasting and sustainable. You will learn more about relapse and how to overcome it, as well as other means to support your wellbeing, such as therapy, psychotherapy, medication, and other support. Finally, there is a checklist for you to use to uphold your change. This section contains seven tasks to guide you through the rehabilitative process.

How to Complete the ReDirection Self-Help Program

By opening the ReDirection Self-Help Program, you have already made a very brave decision to get help with your behavior. This shows that you are motivated to make a change. In order to fully benefit from this Self-Help Program, read these practical tips to guide you through the program.

Scheduling your time

We recommend that you start by thinking about how and when you want to complete this program. The program will take at least a few days or weeks to complete, depending on how quickly you work through it. It is best to work on it in small sections, and not rush through the tasks.

Try to schedule 10 minutes every day when you will work through the tasks. If this does not seem feasible in your life, you can try to do 30 minutes on one day every week. Think about your current situation and what is realistic when determining how much to work on the program each week. The more specific you make your plan (i.e. choosing an exact date and time), the more it will help you stay on track with the program. Once you have decided your schedule, write it down in your diary and set an alarm to remind yourself to work on the tasks.

Completing the tasks

We recommend that you start with Section 1 and move on to Section 2, then Section 3. However, you are free to start the program from whichever section you would like. Try to complete each task, but if you find any of the exercises too difficult, move on to the next one and return to the task later when you feel up to it. It is not so important to complete each task fully, what is important is that you start.

For many tasks you will be asked to write down your answers on paper. We recommend this method as it is proven to help with learning and will help you to process your thoughts and feelings. If you don’t feel comfortable writing down your answers on paper, you can also write them down digitally on your computer.

After completing the ReDirection Self-Help Program

After you have completed the program, try to set a time every week to check in on yourself and your progress. Are there any signs that you are going back to your old ways? Look back over what you have learnt and remind yourself of why you decided to complete the program.

Terminology

CSAM

CSAM refers to Child Sexual Abuse Material (sometimes known as ‘child pornography’). CSAM includes images, videos, live-streaming, and any other material that depicts sexual violence against a child. CSAM can include material that shows a child in a sexually suggestive or explicit manner partially clothed, or nude, and can include material that does or does not illustrate sexual activity. See COPINE scale for more detailed definition.

Sexual interest in children

If you experience dominant and permanent sexual attraction towards children, think about children in sexual ways or if you have sexual fantasies about children and the urge to engage in sexual activity with a child or children much younger than oneself. In medical terms sexual interest in children is defined pedophilia or hebephilia. Pedophilia is when sexual interest is primarily to children in their pre-puberty and hebephilia when to children in their puberty.

Paraphilia

Having recurring and obsessive dependency on an unconventional or socially unacceptable stimulus as a source of sexual pleasure (for example children, objects, situations, animals, secretion).

Behavioral addiction/non-substance addictions

A form of addiction that involves a compulsion to engage in a rewarding non-substance-related behavior despite any negative consequences to the person's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. Behavioral addictions are characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli (such as CSAM) despite adverse consequences.

Path to CSAM use

A number of factors and situations form a path to using CSAM. The aim of this program is to ReDirect you away from this path and onto a new path to a more meaningful life without CSAM.

Triggering factors

A trigger factor is a particular situation or psychological stimulus that prompts a chain of events. There can be external (e.g. tragic event, use of online adult pornography) or internal (e.g. thoughts, emotions) triggering factors that lead to the use of CSAM.

CBT theory and therapy

Cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) concentrates on the connections between our thoughts, emotions, and behavior as a holistic process in which no single domain determines activity in other domains.

In CBT therapy people learn how certain thoughts lead to certain feelings which in turn lead to certain behavioral responses and vice versa. CBT therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for people how have problems with the use of CSAM, as the goal is to achieve cognitive, behavioral, and emotional change.

Therapy strengthens the responsible behavior and helps to achieve a healthier life with safer and better emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning.

My use of CSAM and what do I think of it

Underlying factors and the pathway to CSAM-use