Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

National policy advancement and resource commitment for addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) across the world remains minimal despite global recognition of its severity and prevalence. The United Kingdom (UK) is an exception, recently designating CSAE a ‘national threat’, investing significant resources toward developing a multi-sectoral national response, and leading a global alliance of 84 other countries to end online CSAE. This paper investigates factors shaping the recent political prioritization of CSAE in the UK. Drawing on concepts from sociology, international relations, and the policy process, we consider the influence of the policy environment and the composition of and strategies employed by proponents concerned with CSAE within the UK. We use a process-tracing methodology, a qualitative approach that seeks to uncover mechanisms linking potential causal factors with outcomes. We conduct 20 semi-structured interviews with key informants concerned with the issue and triangulate with data from published scholarship, organizational reports, and government documents. Our preliminary analysis delineates the coupling of several factors in shaping the recent prioritization of addressing CSAE in the UK, including: child sex abuse scandals brought to national attention by robust media coverage; an established, cooperative civil society with key voluntary organizations and institutional leaders; and championing from senior officials in local and national-levels of government. In conclusion, these findings may identify for proponents, both within and outside the UK, strategies to overcome challenges and build on opportunities for policy advancement on this issue.