Online child protection officer: 'I see traumatic images every day'
In Finland, policing the internet means not only finding and removing illegal images, but providing online help for those who are concerned about developing a sexual interest in children
Laura Keisanen closes the window on her computer and gives a sickened sigh. Images of a three-year-old girl being raped by a man in his 40s fade from the screen. Seconds later Keisanen's attention switches to the 1980s computer game Tetris, and for the next 20 minutes she concentrates on fitting brightly coloured blocks together. The game is all part of a day's work for Keisanen, who as an adviser to Save the Children Finland's digital and media unit is involved in policing the internet, and making it a safer place for children.
"I see traumatic images every day, from six-year-olds being forced to touch one another while someone is filming, to infant girls being assaulted. It has been scientifically proved that playing Tetris straight after you see something traumatising helps you kind of forget the images," says the 31-year-old former social worker.
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