On March 18, the symposium, titled “Sexual Violence Against Children and Child Sexual Abuse Material: Current Situations and Countermeasures in Spain and Japan” was held in Building 6 at Sophia University.
Recently, there have been numerous reports in Japan regarding issues such as voyeurism and sexual deepfakes targeting children. Dr. Virginia Soldino was invited to the event to discuss issues surrounding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in Spain. The aim was to learn about the latest situation in Spain and consider countermeasures for Japan.
First, Dr. Soldino spoke about Spain’s legal system and its efforts to prevent sexual offenses. She explained that in Spain, AI-generated child sexual abuse material is currently subject to legal regulation precisely because of its realistic nature. She emphasized that prevention is key to protecting children and introduced various initiatives. These included counseling services for individuals who have not committed offenses but harbor sexual interest in children (available upon request), evidence-based treatment for offenders, and robust community-based programs designed to reduce recurrence of criminal behavior.
Next, Mariko Tsuji, a Tansa reporter, presented a report on online child sexual abuse material in Japan. Then, Hirotsugu Kato, a professor at Hokkaido University, gave a lecture on sexual bullying among children. Associate Professor Azusa Saito of our university’s Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, then provided an explanation of the psychological impact of child sexual abuse material on children.
The event was attended by approximately 60 people, including mental health professionals, helping professionals, journalists, students, researchers, and government officials. It was a meaningful two hours spent considering, from multiple perspectives, what can be done to create a society where children are protected from sexual exploitation.
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A Japan-Spain Research Symposium was held to examine the current state of sexual violence against children and countermeasures.
