Prevent it: Can internet-delivered psychotherapy reduce usage of online child sexual abuse material?

Prevent it: A single-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial of an internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for reducing usage of child sexual abuse material

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN76841676

Enrollment

160

Registered

2020-01-23

Start date

2019-04-16

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-03-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Usage of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in help-seeking adults Mental and Behavioural Disorders Pedophilic disorder

Interventions

The study participants are being randomized into two different arms after an assessment interview where inclusion criteria are being evaluated. Block-wise randomization is to be carried out by the stu

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 120 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Adult men and women located anywhere in the world 2. Aged 18 years or above 3. English speaking 4. Wishing to cease using CSAM online

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Severe psychiatric illness (suicidal ideation, psychosis, intellectual disability, severe substance misuse) 2. No serious intention to participate, e.g. internet trolls

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Self-reported time spent viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the past week at baseline (the week before the start of the intervention) and week 8	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Time spent consuming CSAM pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 2. Severity of CSAM consumed measured using the COPINE scale pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 3. Time spent socializing or interacting with children for sexual arousal pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 4. Time spent on behavior related to sexual interest in children pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 5. Quality of life assessed using the European quality of life visual analogue scale, which ranges from 0 to 100 pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 12-week follow-up	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Time spent consuming CSAM pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 2. Severity of CSAM consumed measured using the COPINE scale pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 3. Time spent socializing or interacting with children for sexual arousal pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 4. Time spent on behavior related to sexual interest in children pre-treatment, weekly during treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks) and at follow-up (12 weeks) 5. Quality of life assessed using the European quality of life visual analogue scale, which ranges from 0 to 100 pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 12-week follow-up

—

Countries

Sweden

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 14, 2026