International data overview
Child sexual abuse imagery reports
153,369 URLs (webpages) were confirmed as containing child sexual abuse imagery, having links to the imagery, or advertising it.
Additionally, 14 newsgroups were confirmed as containing child sexual abuse imagery.
Where our reports came from
| No of reports assessed* | 154,311 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total | 52% |
| Number of reports actioned** | 133,396 |
| Percentage of total | 87% |
| Total actioned** | 133,396 |
| Percentage of total | 87% |
| No of reports assessed* | 144,070 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total | 48% |
| Number of reports actioned** | 19,258 |
| Percentage of total | 13% |
| Total actioned** | 19,987 |
| Percentage of total | 13% |
| No of reports assessed* | 296 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Number of reports actioned** | 127 |
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Total actioned** | - |
| Percentage of total | - |
| No of reports assessed* | 737 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Number of reports actioned** | 530 |
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Total actioned** | - |
| Percentage of total | - |
| No of reports assessed* | 158 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Number of reports actioned** | 68 |
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Total actioned** | - |
| Percentage of total | - |
| No of reports assessed* | 47 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Number of reports actioned** | 4 |
| Percentage of total | < 1% |
| Total actioned** | - |
| Percentage of total | - |
| No of reports assessed* | 299,619 |
|---|---|
| Number of reports actioned** | 153,383*** |
| Total actioned** | 153,383 |
| No of reports assessed* | % of total | No of reports "actioned"** | % of total | Total Actioned** | % Actioned** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWF Proactive Searching | 154,311 | 52% | 133,396 | 87% | 133,396 | 87% |
| Public | 144,070 | 48% | 19,258 | 13% | 19,987 | 13% |
| Police | 296 | < 1% | 127 | < 1% | ||
| IWF Members | 737 | < 1% | 530 | < 1% | ||
| INHOPE Hotlines | 158 | < 1% | 68 | < 1% | ||
| Other agencies | 47 | < 1% | 4 | < 1% | ||
| TOTAL | 299,619 | 153,383*** | 153,383 |
*These figures include reports of non-photographic child sexual abuse imagery.
**These figures include reports “actioned” for containing child sexual abuse imagery – found on URLs and newsgroups.
***This figure is 153,369 URLs of child sexual abuse material plus 14 newsgroups showing child sexual abuse material. No UK-hosted non-photographic child sexual abuse material was found.
The above table shows the sources of reports into IWF, and how many of those were assessed as containing child sexual abuse material. Please be aware that not all reports we assess are found to contain criminal imagery within our remit.
136,255 reports were assessed by our Hotline which came from external sources and were reported as suspected child sexual abuse imagery. This includes all sources not originating from IWF’s proactive work. 29% (32% in 2019) of these reports correctly identified child sexual abuse content. This figure includes newsgroups and duplicate reports (where several reports have correctly identified the same child sexual abuse content).
Note: A number for each year were adverts or links to child sexual abuse material.
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Analysis of the 567,176 hashes on the IWF Hash List at the end of 2020 shows that, of the image hashes relating to children assessed as 10 years old or younger, 61% are at the highest levels of severity (Category A or B), compared to 43% of the image hashes relating to children aged 11-17.
Of the image hashes relating to babies and toddlers aged 2 and under, 86% show the most severe forms of abuse.
Child Abuse Image Database (CAID)
We work closely with the police and the UK Government’s Home Office on the Child Abuse Image Database (CAID).
Why is this important?
Our access to CAID enables us to share IWF images and hashes with law enforcement.
It also allows our analysts to carry out victim identification checks. By doing these checks, our analysts can find out if a child has been safeguarded, which has a positive impact on our analysts’ welfare. It also means our analysts can prioritise making a referral to police if the victim isn’t found in the database. In these cases, we have had some success in helping to ensure that children are safeguarded.
We established a taskforce to take our work with CAID one step further to benefit victims worldwide.
