Understanding And Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation Of Children

Over the last decade there has been dramatically increased interest in the ways that technology has been used in the abuse and exploitation of children, due in part to increasing numbers of convictions for child pornography-related offenses. Opinion swings between those who feel that there is a danger of distorting the threat posed to children by technology, and those for whom it appears that the threat has been grossly underestimated. Current literature surrounding the debate at times seems to create more questions than answers and what quickly becomes apparent is that the data we have to inform our understanding is partial, potentially context specific, and at times seemingly contradictory. This book broadens our understanding of the complex nature of online sexual exploitation of children and considers the risk that those engaged in Internet-related offences pose to children in both the online and offline environments. It focuses on cutting-edge research and conceptual thinking that views perpetrators within context, examines those impacted by such offending, describes emerging legal and policy issues, and proposes innovative strategies for prevention within a dynamic global environment. Understanding and Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation of Children responds to the growing call for help across all practice areas, from judicial to therapeutic, and will provide an invaluable resource for practitioners and policy makers working in the field, as well as students and academics studying sexual exploitation and cyber crime.

This book examines the modern pandemic of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE). It explores the prevalence, perpetration, impact, and victimization of as well as therapy for child sexual exploitation and its interaction with child sexual abuse. Chapters discuss OCSE from neuropsychological, epidemiological, neurological, behavioral, psychological, clinical, neurobiological and epigenetic perspectives. The volume also addresses the physical and mental impact of early exposure to pornography. The book serves as a resource on an issue that is proving exponentially complex as technology ceaselessly evolves at a faster rate than its consequences can be understood and addressed. Key areas of coverage include: Neuropsychological changes and dysfunctional coping mechanisms resulting from both online and offline child sexual abuse. The psychological, emotional, and physical impacts (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, and self-harm) of child sexual abuse. Prevention and early intervention strategies, including scalable technological responses. Developing a public health approach to preventing and addressing online child abuse and exploitation. Porn culture and its impact on children, adolescents, and emerging adults. The neurobiology and epigenetic impact of trauma. This book is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians, and graduate students in child and school psychology, public health, social work as well as interrelated disciplines, including neuropsychology, neurobiology, sociology, anthropology, and educational policy and politics.

The internet has greatly enhanced access to, dissemination, and sale of child pornography, which is a profitable industry estimated to generate billions of dollars worldwide. While efforts to address the issue of sexual exploitation of children may be slow, the capabilities of offenders to organize, communicate over the internet, and harness technology are unequivocally fast. Protection of children against cyber exploitation has become imperative, and measures should be taken that are specific and targeted to provide specialized victim identification capabilities; adequate protection for children using the internet; genuine participation of children; a full and responsible private sector; and finally, coordinated, effective, and structured international cooperation to protect all children. Combating the Exploitation of Children in Cyberspace: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides innovative research for understanding all elements of combating cyber exploitation of children including the roles of law enforcement, international organizations, and the judicial system and educating children and their families to the dangers of the independent internet usage through cyberspace awareness programs. The content within this publication examines child grooming, cyberbullying, and cybercrime. It is designed for law enforcement, lawmakers, teachers, government officials, policymakers, IT specialists, cybercriminal researchers, psychologists, victim advocates, professionals, academicians, researchers, and students.

This work deals with the issues surrounding child sexual abuse, and is aimed at practitioners in social work, psychology and medicine, students in professional fields and researchers.

The issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) has received intense scrutiny in recent years, following a number of high profile legal cases, serious case reviews and inquiries. This has resulted in increasing expectations that those working in the field will know how to appropriately manage and respond to this form of abuse. Of course, this is no easy task given the widely acknowledged difficulties of identifying and responding to sexual abuse and the particular complexities associated with the gain dynamic within CSE and the predominantly older age of children affected by it. This edited collection draws on the latest research evidence and academic thinking around CSE to consider issues of understanding and response. Written by researchers from ‘The International Centre: Researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking’ at the University of Bedfordshire, Part I considers issues of understanding and conceptualisation. Part II considers the practical implications of some of this thinking, sharing learning from research and evaluation on prevention, identification and response. Understanding and Responding to Child Exploitation presents critical learning for academics and students, and for those working in the fields of policy, practice and commissioning. It is relevant to a wide range of disciplines including social care, youth work, education, criminology, health and social policy.

Online Risk to Children brings together the most up-to-date theory, policy, and best practices for online child protection and abuse prevention. Moves beyond offender assessment and treatment to discuss the impact of online abuse on children themselves, and the risks and vulnerabilities inherent in their constantly connected lives Global in scope, setting contributions from leading researchers and practitioners in the UK in international context via chapters from Australia, the USA and Europe. Key topics covered include cyberbullying, peer-oriented abuse, victim treatment approaches, international law enforcement strategies, policy responses, and the role of schools and industry

This guide indicates the sexual victimization of children is perpetrated by family members, acquaintances, and strangers; encompasses pornography, sex rings, and prostitution; and primarily involves preferential sex offenders who victimize children by operating child sex and pornography rings. Preferential sex offenders tend to be predatory serial offenders and can usually be identified by long-term and persistent behavior patterns, specific sexual interests, and fantasy-driven behavior. They often suffer from paraphilias, psychosexual disorders that involve recurrent, intense, and sexually arousing fantasies and from sexual urges and behaviors that usually involve nonhuman objects, the humiliation of oneself or one's partner, and children or other nonconsenting persons. In child sex ring and pornography cases, offenders typically control their victims by seducing them with attention, affection, kindness, and gifts until they have lowered the victim's inhibitions and gained his or her cooperation and consent. Because of their bond with the offender, victims frequently resent law enforcement intervention and may even warn the offender. The investigation of child sexual exploitation cases involving multiple victims molested by preferential offenders is usually complex and difficult. Guidelines are presented for interviewing victims and offenders, investigating offenders, recovering child exploitation evidence, obtaining expert search warrants, and conducting an effective prosecution. Special procedures to follow when investigating child sexual exploitation cases involving computers are noted, and types of offenders who engage in child pornography using computers are identified. An investigator's checklist for interviewing victims of preferential sex offenders is included. 6 references.

Online Child Sexual Abuse: Grooming, Policing and Child Protection in a Multi-Media World addresses the complex, multi-faceted and, at times, counter-intuitive relationships between online grooming behaviours, risk assessment, police practices, and the actual danger of subsequent abuse in the physical world. Online child sexual abuse has become a high profile and important issue in public life. When children are victims, there is clearly intense public and political interest and concern. Sex offenders are society’s most reviled deviants and the object of seemingly undifferentiated public fear and loathing. This may be evidenced in ongoing efforts to advance legislation, develop police tactics and to educate children and their carers to engage with multi-media and the internet safely. Understanding how sex offenders use the internet and how the police and the government are responding to their behaviour is central to the development of preventative measures. Based on extensive ethnographic research conducted with the police and a specialist paedophile unit, here Elena Marellozzo presents an informed analysis of online child sexual abuse: of the patterns and characteristics of online grooming, and of the challenges and techniques that characterize its policing. Connecting theory, research and practice in the field of policing, social policy, victimology and criminology, this book adds significantly to our understanding and knowledge of the problem of online child sexual abuse, the way in which victims are targeted and how this phenomenon is, and might be, policed.