Gulsum Adas

eSafety received funding under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse to provide education to parents, carers and front-line workers on the prevention of child sexual abuse. As part of the project, eSafety collaborated with the Australian Catholic University's Institute of Child Protection Studies; Bravehearts, a child protection not-for-profit organisation; and Amaze, an advocacy organisation for Autistic people, on a research project exploring the contexts, pathways, and protective factors associated with technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviours (TA-HSB) among Autistic adolescents.

There is a growing body of evidence that neurodivergent children and adolescents (including those with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other disabilities) face distinctive risks in digital environments, though the research base remains limited. Autistic young people may be particularly vulnerable online, both as potential victims and as instigators of TA-HSB.

Digital environments create contexts in which TA-HSB and online child sexual exploitation and abuse can occur through image-based abuse, coercion, grooming, boundary violations, or developmentally inappropriate sexual exchanges. Autistic adolescents, whose online lives often provide vital spaces for social connection, may experience distinctive patterns of vulnerability and risk, as well as pathways to resilience, agency and positive digital participation.

eSafety brought together a multi-disciplinary research team to conduct a scoping study that synthesised current research and practice insights to chart an integrated, rights affirming approach to prevention, early identification and supportive response. The research team worked together to refine the study's research questions, data sources such as de-identified case data from Bravehearts and Amaze, and approach to evidence review and data analysis.

The presentation will offer real-world insights into both risk and protective factors for TA-HSB among Autistic adolescents. Given the limited existing research in this space, our work also identifies gaps in the current evidence base, suggesting areas for further study.