Wellbeing Among Police Personnel Investigating Online Child Sexual Abuse: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Online child sexual abuse (CSA) crimes have increased significantly in recent years, reflecting broader access to the internet and the global proliferation of CSA content. In response, national police forces have established specialized investigative teams. Notably, repeated exposure to CSA material has been identified as a significant stressor for police personnel, potentially increasing the risk of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Therefore, understanding and addressing the impact of continuous CSA exposure on personnel’s wellbeing is essential within this area of digital policing. This scoping review aims to synthesize and report the existing empirical research on the wellbeing of police personnel involved in online CSA investigations. Following established guidelines, we searched four electronic databases—Scopus, Web of Science (Clarivate), PsycINFO, and SocIndex—for articles published between 2000 and 2024. We also conducted reference mining of the included studies. In total, 33 articles met the inclusion criteria: empirical studies published in English, in peer-reviewed journals, and focused on the wellbeing of personnel investigating online CSA. Findings reveal substantial variation in reported wellbeing. Individual coping strategies, as well as organizational resources and support, play a critical role in how personnel manage the demands of this work. Based on these insights, we recommend that online CSA police units implement clear and proactive strategies to safeguard personnel’s wellbeing.