Preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation: Current efforts and future directions in the European Union

The European Union (EU) has set out a series of initiatives to support EU Member States in implementing tested and effective prevention measures to decrease the prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE). These efforts include the establishment of the EU Network of Experts for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and the development of the EU Knowledge Platform. Finally, there is ongoing work to create a European Center to prevent and combat CSA and put in place rigorous evaluation of prevention initiatives, including a Self-assessment Tool and External evaluation. This paper presents what has been achieved to date and plans going forward. All current efforts and future directions aim at developing a comprehensive response to prevent, reduce, and combat CSAE in the EU and globally.