Effective responses to child sexual abuse depend not only on laws and tools, but also on the words we use. Terminology shapes how abuse is recognised, how systems respond, and how victims are treated. Yet across sectors and regions, the language used to describe abuse remains inconsistent.

Detecting, reporting, and removing public access to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) are priority actions in the global fight against child sexual exploitation and abuse. To do that quickly and effectively, law enforcement, hotlines and online service providers need common rules and a common language to describe what they are seeing.

Governments play a vital role in shaping the legislative and institutional frameworks that protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation. However, inconsistent definitions of CSAM and classification practices across countries can hinder coordination, enforcement, and international cooperation.

Civil society organisations play a vital role in the global effort to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation. Whether focused on advocacy, victim support, research, prevention, or public awareness, NGOs need accurate, consistent language to describe the harms they are addressing.

For companies operating online platforms or developing safety technologies, the accurate classification of child sexual abuse material is a core part of trust and safety operations.

Investigating child sexual abuse material requires accuracy, consistency, and collaboration across borders