Döring, N., & Walter, R. (2021). Ikonografien des sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs: Symbolbilder in Presseartikeln und Präventionsmaterialien [Iconographies of child sexual abuse: Symbolic images in press articles and prevention materials]. *Studies in Communication and Media*, 10(3), 362-405. https://doi.org/10.5771/2192-4007-2021-3-362 **Abstract** **Introduction:** Child sexual abuse (CSA) is quite widespread in Germany and internationally and often has serious and long-term consequences for those affected. How the public and politicians perceive the social problem of child sexual abuse and which prevention and intervention approaches are pursued depends to a large extent on media reporting. Here, previous communication science research shows both strengths and weaknesses of CSA-related media representations: On the one hand, the media contribute to uncovering child sexual abuse, giving those affected a voice and raising public awareness. On the other hand, media reports are often clichéd and lurid, sometimes to the detriment of those affected. Research into the content and quality features of media reporting on child sexual abuse has so far completely ignored one important aspect, namely the visual language. **Objectives:** This is where the present study comes in. It answers the following research questions: How often are symbolic images used in press coverage of child sexual abuse, and what image motifs are used? In addition, it examines two related questions: How often are symbolic images used in prevention materials from specialized counselling centers on child sexual abuse and what image motifs are used there? **Methods:** In order to work out the respective iconographies, a sample of 419 CSA-related symbolic images from German-language press articles and a sample of 450 CSA-related symbolic images from German-language prevention materials were drawn and separately subjected to a standardized visual content analysis. **Results:** As a result, a CSA iconography was identified for the press that is oriented towards the framing of criminal reporting and visualizes 1. crime contexts (29.2% symbolic images in the press sample), 2. course of the crime and people involved (24.3%), and 3. consequences of the crime for the people involved (46.6%) with seven image types, for each of which this article presents example images. For the prevention materials, a CSA iconography was identified that is oriented on the framing of prevention approaches and visualizes 1. primary prevention (57.6% of symbolic images in the prevention material sample), 2. secondary prevention (8.7%) and 3. tertiary prevention (33.8%) with nine image types, for which example images are also shown. The most common type of picture in the press showed the punishment of the offender in connection with the consequences of the crime (e.g. picture motif: offender in handcuffs), the most common type of picture in the prevention materials showed carefree and happy children protected from CSA in connection with primary prevention (e.g. picture motif: group of children playing). **Conclusion:** This article compares the two CSA iconographies and discusses them critically with regard to criteria of media quality and media ethics. **Key Words:** Visual language, iconography, image content analysis, visual framing, child sexual abuse.