Using analytics to combat child abuse
Analyzing chat and forums data from police child abuse software to identify perpetrators.
AbuSearch achieved this using:
· SAS Viya® · SAS Text Analytics · SAS Model Studio Pipelines · Python and R
SAS Hackathon 2024 · Europe Region · Winner: Data for Good
Challenge
Tackling child abuse and child sexual abuse is a huge problem.
- Up to one in 20 boys and one in five girls experiences some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18.
- Up to 85% of online offenders are also real-life abusers of children.
- There is a huge amount of content online that could identify abusers.
- However, law enforcement agencies have limited analytical resources.
Innovation
This solution uses SAS® Viya® to identify potential child abusers from chat forum data.
AbuSearch:
- Drew on the chat and forums data from child protection software supplied by Project NEMESIS.
- Used natural language processing, data profiling, visualization and network analytics to create a series of alerts.
- Identified users who share and create harmful content and who groom and contact potential victims.
- Created a dashboard to display insights in an actionable way.
Impact
The AbuSearch solution will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of work to combat child sexual abuse.
- It will enable law enforcement agencies to identify the most likely perpetrators of abuse.
- It can identify people who are grooming children, before abuse occurs.
- It can also identify networks of abusers.
- This will allow a better focus on the most dangerous people.
“It’s good to be able to be more efficient and use finite resources of law enforcement much more effectively.” Phil Atwood · Director of Impact · Child Rescue Coalition
| Team Name |
AbuSearch |
| Track |
Public Sector |
| Use Case |
Text Analytics and NLP techniques help fight Child Abuse |
| Technology |
SAS Viya, Text Analytics, Python, R |
| Region |
EMEA |
| Team lead |
Tamas Bosznay |
| Team members |
@Barbaramikulasova @saradidonna @Fraserscott @BobKettlewell @TamasBosznay |
| Social media handles |
*all team members' social media links here* |
| Is your team interested in participating in an interview? |
Y |
| Optional: Expand on your technology expertise |
SAS, Python, R |
