ECHO Survivor Hub - transforming the response to survivors of child sexual abuse material
- Protect Children
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
PROJECT LAUNCH
Sexual violence against children affects approximately one in twenty children in the UK (NHS, 2023). When the sexual violence is recorded, it becomes a complex and continuous form of abuse, imposing long-lasting impacts on the victim and complicating the healing journey. Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse material often remain forgotten, facing significant challenges to remove the evidence of their abuse, deal with the criminal justice system, and find tailored support.
Aiming to address these pressing issues, The International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute, the Internet Watch Foundation and Protect Children have launched the ECHO Survivor Hub in the UK - a pioneering service for CSAM survivors with ambitions for international expansion.
The ECHO Survivor Hub aims to …
Actively search for and remove survivors’ imagery from circulation,
Prompt technology companies to proactively remove survivors’ imagery.
Support law enforcement to engage with survivors for future investigations.
Increase awareness of compensation options and support legal representatives to explore civil remedy.
Listen to the needs of survivors, support them and offering access to psychoeducational materials to enhance wellbeing and healing.
"I hope you find this portal to be a safe and gentle space where you can feel seen, heard, and understood. Whatever you are feeling right now is valid, and you don’t have to carry it all alone. Healing is not easy, and it doesn’t happen all at once, but every small step you take matters." - Survivor of child sexual violence.
We extend our gratitude to victims, survivors, and their families for contributing to the development of ECHO Survivor Hub.
"The ECHO Survivor Hub peer-to-peer support portal was co-created with survivors and informed by Protect Children's global survivor research. It brings together all approaches, tools, and insights I have used with my patients throughout 30 years of working with trauma." - Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, Executive Director at Protect Children.
The project is funded by Safe Online and Graham Dacre Foundation.
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