Defining Child Pornography: Challenges for the Law

Abstract

This article considers how child pornography is defined in law. It explores the three elements of any definition – who is a child, what constitutes pornography and what material is covered – and notes the difficulty that legal systems have in producing an appropriate definition. The article considers existing international instruments and suggests that a new minimum standard should be adopted to ensure that there is at least basic protection offered to children as regards this form of sexual exploitation.

Keywords: child pornography, definition, sexual exploitation, international instruments