Florida Lawmakers Move to Redefine ‘Child Pornography’ as ‘Child Sexual Abuse Material’: Echoing Global Calls to Mind Our Language in Child Protection
Florida lawmakers are considering a historic change to how the state defines sexual crimes against children, a move that underscores the power of language in shaping public understanding, legal accountability, and protection for victims.
The proposed House Bill 245, known as the Child Pornography Terminology Bill, seeks to strike out the term “child pornography” from all 56 sections of Florida law and replace it with “child sexual abuse material (CSAM)”.
The bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Jessica Baker (R-Jacksonville), a former prosecutor, says the change is long overdue.
If passed, the law would take effect in 2026, aligning Florida with other states, including Utah, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Texas that have already adopted the term child sexual abuse material in their legal codes.
Why Language Matters
The proposed reform reflects what many child-protection advocates have argued for years: words are never neutral. The way society talks about children’s suffering can either expose injustice or conceal it behind euphemisms.
This is a message long championed by Mr. Taiwo Akinlami, Africa’s leading voice on Child Safeguarding and Protection and Family Strengthening. Through decades of advocacy and reform work, Mr. Akinlami has emphasized that Child Safeguarding and Protection is not only about systems and policies but also about the language and culture that surround children every day.
Mr. Akinlami explores these ideas in his latest books, available on Amazon:
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The Burden and Wisdom of Parenting: The Journey from an Erased Childhood to Transformed Adulthood
👉 https://a.co/d/59gonPR -
Transforming Child Discipline into a Culture of Discipline
👉 https://a.co/d/5ZM4a8f
From Terminology to Transformation
The Florida bill comes amid the arrest of Tyler Smith, 28, charged with more than twenty felony counts for possessing and sharing videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some as young as two years old. Detectives say he referred to the content as his “drug.”
A Global Shift in Consciousness
Around the world, a movement is building to align language with justice. Advocates argue that calling such material what it truly is , which is “child sexual abuse material” centers the victim and removes any trace of normalization.
Florida’s legislative effort, though rooted in U.S. law, carries global implications: it reminds societies everywhere that the fight to protect children begins with the words we choose.
