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Online abuse, facilitated via social media and mobile technologies, has recently attracted considerable academic attention. The nonconsensual sharing of intimate images—revenge pornography—can have a devastating effect on victims, is a global problem, and constitutes interpersonal violence. The national helpline in the United Kingdom has now received over 7,000 calls. In the United Kingdom, new legislation making revenge pornography a crime was introduced in 2014, yet the police do not always respond appropriately to victims. This article presents the findings of a national online survey of police understanding of revenge pornography, undertaken in the United Kingdom in March 2017. The study set out to investigate police knowledge of revenge pornography legislation, their confidence in responding to cases of revenge pornography, and what level of training they had received. A total of 783 members of the police force responded to the survey and, to the authors' knowledge, this the first study to seek to quantify the understanding of revenge pornography by police officers and staff in England and Wales. The findings suggest that the police in the United Kingdom have a limited understanding of revenge pornography legislation and lack confidence both in investigating cases and in effectively responding to victims. The implications of the study demonstrate that there is an urgent need for training across police forces to ensure that cases of revenge pornography are appropriately responded to, victims are safeguarded, and offenders brought to justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological consequences of child sexual abuse on children's mental health and emotional well-being are well documented, and the importance of safeguarding training for professionals working with children and young people unequivocal. Effective support for children who have been sexually abused online is essential to enable them to progress towards recovery. Yet many professionals feel they lack knowledge and understanding of how best to work with children who have been sexually abused online. This study therefore evaluates the outcomes of a short inter-professional training course designed to develop professionals' competence and confidence when responding to the needs of children and their families after online sexual abuse. Participants (n  = 114) were recruited on a voluntary basis from a range of professional backgrounds, including some teaching and social work students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The questionnaire collected both quantitative and qualitative data. There were consistent, statistically significant improvements in the professionals' views on their knowledge of the subject, their ability to assess online risk and their confidence levels after completing the training course. The feedback from the participants suggested that the learning tools adopted in the training were highly appropriate and that the inter-professional delivery was a key aspect to the positive learning experience. This study suggests that multidisciplinary training, combined with real-life case studies, can be highly effective in improving knowledge and understanding of online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), thereby improving professionals' confidence in supporting children, young people and their families. The need for and the importance of inter-professional training are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]