Child Sexual AbuSe ImageS - Canadian Centre for Child Protection

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4 | methodology aNd defiNitioNS
4.3 image classification—age range and severity of the abuse
Age range
To determine the age range of a child in a sexual abuse image, the analyst considers
the child’s genital development, breast development (if female), and stature. The
child’s age range is then estimated based on a sexual maturation rating (SMR)
system, as defined in Medical Analysis of Child Pornography (Cooper, 2005). This system is
adapted from the Tanner Stages, but considers the fact that analysts are looking at
images (and not conducting a medical exam).
The estimate of the child’s SMR is based on physical development in
comparison to data on the median age of each stage of development:
ff SMR 1 is roughly equivalent to children 0 (zero) to 8 years of age.
ff SMR 2 is roughly equivalent to children 8-11 years of age.
ff SMR 3 is roughly equivalent to 11-12 years of age for girls and 12-14 years of age
for boys.
ff SMR 4 is roughly equivalent to 12-16 years of age for girls and 14-15 years of age
for boys.
ff Entry into SMR 5 occurs at 16-17 years of age for girls and 15-16 years of age for boys.
The cycle of puberty requires five to six years for completion. This means that if
a child in an image has not reached complete adult sexual maturation, we can
confirm that they are “almost certainly younger than 18 years old”(Cooper, 2005). If
analysts are undecided about the child's SMR, they err on the side of caution and
choose the higher SMR.
A child’s age range is estimated based on a 5-stage sexual maturation rating (SMR)
system, as defined in Medical Analysis of Child Pornography.
ANALYSTS CLASSiFY imAgES OF CONfIRMed CHIld
pORNOgRApHy BASEd ON ThE ChiLd’S AgE rANgE, SEX,
ANd ThE SEvEriTY OF ThE ABuSE BEiNg PErPETrATEd
AgAiNST hEr/him.
mEThOdOLOgY ANd dEFiNiTiONS
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