Exposure to child abuse images as part of one's work: possible psychological implications

Given the rapid expansion in access to the internet in the past decade with information flow being difficult to police it is perhaps not surprising that the internet is so open to misuse. One such misuse is by child sex offenders for whom the internet has facilitated communication and the distribution of child abuse images. This has meant that various professionals involved in investigating cases are themselves exposed to varying degrees and levels of such images. This paper examines the potential impact of viewing images of child abuse on the professionals concerned at a cognitive, emotional and psychosexual/interpersonal level. While there are certain issues to be aware of and a number of issues that warrant research there is no evidence to date that those exposed to child abuse material in the conduct of their work are affected to any evident negative degree.