3.2.2. Training

Another factor that participants perceived facilitated effective CSAM investigations and prosecutions is specific and focused training for professionals involved in these types of cases. Participants noted that the type and amount of training they have received varied between jurisdictions. For example, some participants said that they received training about CSAM in their professional education prior to entering the field, while many others shared that they needed to seek out local, regional, or national workshops and conferences, noting that the annual interdisciplinary Crimes

Against Children Conference in Dallas, Texas, includes a particularly effective CSAM-focused stream. One issue raised by some participants about training is that it is not always effective. Both the importance of training and this drawback are included in this quote:

*So many of these trainings I go to and they're just not that helpful. You come away disappointed because you're going away from your family, your organization, spending all this money, you had to travel all the way over there. And this one [Dallas Crimes Against Children Conference] is just spectacular. It's done for any kind of crime involving children, not just sex abuse. It's for physical abuse, strangulations, domestic stu*ff*. And it's not just prosecutors, it's for law enforcement, it's for social workers. I'm sure the pediatricians who do this kind of stu*ff *as well, therapists, all of that. It's a fantastic training. That is* . . . *where the light bulb started to really light up for me. (FG8, 3)*

In terms of topics, participants identified various potential subjects, including how to navigate and access specific platforms or technology (including the Dark Web), how the needs of CSAM victims and their families differ from and are similar to victims of other crimes, how to build investigations and prosecutions that comply with legislation that applies to CSAM, self-care and peer support, and discipline-specific issues such as advanced suspect interviewing, advanced forensics, and how to write effective warrants in CSAM cases.

While most participants agreed with the need for formal training, some made the case that learning on the job is most effective, as illustrated in this quote:

*I tell people it took me about a year and a half to really grasp this type of investigation and I kind of just learned by asking them questions and then just getting into it. Training's been great, but [there is] nothing like real life, real world experience. (FG14, 1)*

Overall, participants clearly stated that training is helpful and needs to be a focus of organizations and leaders in the field of CSAM.

As illustrated, there are many challenges to investigating and prosecuting CSAM, as well as barriers and facilitators impacting professionals in this field. The findings in this section demonstrate the complexities faced by service providers who investigate and prosecute CSAM related offenses. While discussed in the previous section as distinct categories, the findings are highly interrelated and influence one another.
