In this section I have outlined the problems with the term ‘ Child Pornography ’ and explored the potential alternative ‘ CSAM ’. I have suggested that adding the reference to abuse of power within the definition of CSAM would exclude youth sexual image sharing between peers . This is the definition I will use in my research .
Conclusion One final consideration for the terms discussed here is that it can be unhelpful to consider sexual image sharing as an entirely online behaviour . Nelson et al . suggest that as there is increasingly a continuum of offline to online , with some activities more offline than others . 42 In the context of sharing sexual images , consent or pressure to send images may happen both on and offline , 43 and children or young people may be groomed offline before sending images to an abuser online . 44 Similarly , digital media may facilitate sexual image sharing by allowing people to feel free of their inhibitions , 45 but the consequences of that disinhibition may be keenly felt in the offline world . 46 The terms explored in this article focus on the online context of the behaviours , which gives clarity over the specific activity being discussed . However , it is also important to remember that they are part of a wider spectrum of sexual behaviours that includes on and offline activities .
In this article I have explored the meanings of the terms ‘ sexting ’ and ‘ child pornography ’ in their legal , semantic ( definitional ) and semiotic ( signified ) capacities . I have explored the ways that the term ‘ sexting ’ is used by adults to differentiate their behaviour from the risky behaviour of adolescents . The adult-based risk narrative of youth sexual image sharing is therefore implied in the term ‘ sexting ’. For this reason , I will not be using the term ‘ sexting ’ in my doctoral research , and instead will use the more descriptive ( if more cumbersome ) ‘ sexual image sharing ’. I also recommend this term is used in official publications exploring the phenomena .
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