Child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) is a large-scale and rapidly evolving challenge for practitioners. In 2024, INHOPE hotlines processed 2.7 million reports on potentially illegal material, while more than 1.47 million reports were flagged as confirmed or suspected CSAM (child sexual abuse material). In 2025 alone, the Internet Watch Foundation assessed 8,029 AI-generated images and videos as realistic child sexual abuse material. Moreover, NCMEC CyberTipline referrals have exploded from 4.2 million in 2014 to over 20 million annually in 2025. This surge is compounded by a shift from static imagery to video dominance, and a 6,344% year-over-year explosion in generative AI material—illustrating how quickly the threat landscape is changing and underlining the complexities law enforcement must contend with.
These figures emphasise the growing need to complement investigation and enforcement with earlier identification, structured assessment and prevention-oriented responses. As highlighted in our article on prevention, effective child protection requires tools that help professionals recognise concerns, understand risk more systematically and act before harm escalates, but also to proactively deal with people who have offended to minimise the risk of future harm.
The Risk and Desistance Hexagon, developed within the EU-funded Prevent and Protect Through Support (2PS) project, is a practical framework designed to support this shift. It helps practitioners assess the need for intervention, and determine levels of risk in relation to individuals who may be sexually interested in children, individuals with allegations of harm, or other persons of concern—including those who have not previously committed a sexual offence, but demonstrate recognised risk factors. Its purpose is to support informed interaction, intervention and referral, strengthen child protection and assist professionals to work with people with inappropriate sexual desires, interests or behaviours.
The Hexagon is structured around six domains associated with risk: sexuality, antisociality, mental health, self-regulation, relationships and lifestyle. These are complemented by a review of desistance-related factors that may support healthier choices and behaviour patterns, including agency, prospects, contentment, network, meaningfulness/purposefulness and relationships.
Within the EMPACT 2026–2029 cycle, the Hexagon is now being further adapted and digitised for law enforcement use. Under the Operational Action 3.5, led by the Hellenic Police with the Polish Platform for Homeland Security as co-lead, the work focuses on translating the original 2PS framework into practical outputs aligned with law enforcement agency workflows- including engagement and interviewing suggestions.
The Polish Platform for Homeland Security co-leads EMPACT Operational Action 3.5 and coordinates the two-year effort to adapt and digitise the Risk and Desistance Hexagon for law enforcement use.
Together with the Hellenic Police, PPHS co-organised the kick-off meeting in Athens on 8–9 April 2026, bringing together law enforcement professionals, psychologists and researchers from across Europe to shape the next stage of the Hexagon’s development.
The action will focus on three practical outputs:
Coordinator:
Partners:
Funded by the
European Union
Get in touch with us at projekty@ppbw.pl
