About the ReDirection program
Launched in 2021, the ReDirection program is a global, anonymous, online rehabilitative self-help program to help individuals stop using child sexual abuse material.
Background
The ReDirection Self-Help Program was developed by the Finnish NGO, Suojellaan Lapsia, Protect Children ry. in collaboration with psychologists Nina Nurminen & Mikko Ylipekka, Finnish Criminal Sanctions Agency.
The ReDirection Self-Help Program is based on the manualised Uusi Suunta – New Direction Individual Program for Sex Offenders, which is in use in Finland and Estonia.
The program is based on cognitive behavioral therapy and guides users to change their behavior to stop using child sexual abuse material.
There have been over 80,000 visits to the ReDirection Self-Help Program since it was launched in September 2021
91%
of respondents said that they feel confident or very confident in their ability to maintain their behavioural change in the long term.
User Feedback
Feedback from users of the ReDirection Self-Help Program suggests that the program successfully decreases CSAM use. From the 105 users who have provided voluntary feedback on the ReDirection program, 76% said that their use of CSAM has decreased or they have completely stopped using CSAM after starting the program.
Evaluation
The ReDirection Self-Help Program has been evaluated for scalability by Management Systems International (MSI) as part of the Global Perpetration Prevention: Translating Knowledge to Action program implemented by the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins University. MSI conducted abbreviated scaling assessment of promising interventions for the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). During July-September 2022, MSI conducted an assessment of the ReDirection program.
The ReDirection program is currently being evaluated within the EU-funded Project Bridge, which will evaluate two anonymous online therapeutic interventions to help people reduce their sexual urges and behaviors towards children.
Further evaluation of the ReDirection program is currently being prepared.
