Children’s services for the digital age: A qualitative study into current procedures and online risks among service users

El-Asam, Aiman; Katz, Adrienne; Street, Cathy; Nazar, Nijina M.; Livanou, Maria

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105872

Cited by 14 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Our results, particularly themes one (Breadth of the problem) and two (Working with OCSA), are similar to those found in other studies ( 33 , 38 – 43 ) in that practitioners acknowledged the growing number of CYP whose presentation included OCSA, but there were differences in how this was conceptualized, the importance they placed on it, and their responses to either a disclosure by the CYP or information provided by an earlier assessment and included in the referral process. In particular, there was a blurred boundary between practitioners who described discrete manifestations of OCSA and those who used a more inclusive definition of sexual crimes involving CYP that were enabled by technology.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…This in turn reduces the likelihood of disclosing or reporting the abuse. However, importantly, there is often a limited understanding by professionals of the risks associated with OCSA and the possible consequences for victims ( 33 ). This may potentially lead to CYP remaining at risk, with professionals failing to offer protection on referral or appropriate support.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This included lack of confidence about their knowledge and skills, few opportunities to engage due to, for example, a lack of resources, and motivation to change routine ways of practicing. A further UK study explored how local services working with CYP (social care, health, police), managed cases of OCSA ( 33 ). There was awareness of OCSA, but the focus was narrow such that people only identified particular types of abuse (such as sharing FPPI) which led to services not exploring wider online risks or their antecedents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The experiences of practitioners working with young people exposed to online sexual abuse

et al. 2023

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IntroductionThis qualitative study explored healthcare professionals' current understanding of, and clinical practices related to, Online Child Sexual Abuse (OCSA).MethodsData were collected across two UK sites (Manchester and Edinburgh). Interviews and one focus group were held with 25 practitioners working in services offering clinical support to young people who have experienced OCSA. Thematic analysis of the data identified three overarching themes and 10 subthemes related to the research questions: (1) the breadth of the problem; (2) working with OCSA; and (3) the emotionally charged nature of OCSA.ResultsWhile practitioners recognized OCSA as problematic, they differed in how they conceptualized it. There was a heightened awareness of the role that sexual images played in OCSA and concerns about first-person-produced imagery by Children and Young People (CYP). Practitioners described a generational gap related to their technology use and that of the young people they worked with. Practitioners also described a paucity of referral pathways and concerns that there was no training available to them. Organizational barriers meant that questions about technology use were not routinely included in assessments and often there was reliance on young people making disclosures.DiscussionNovel findings from this study were the psychological impacts that such cases had on practitioners, which may indicate a need for organizational support for staff as well as further training needs. Existing frameworks that help conceptualize and assess the role of technology as part of the ecology of the child may have great utility for practitioners.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The experiences of practitioners working with young people exposed to online sexual abuse

et al. 2023

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“…Previous research highlighted a lack of awareness and training among practitioners who often do not consider the online lives of their vulnerable young people (El-Asam et al, 2020, 2021b. This lack of specialist training was also evident in a study of psychiatry trainees, only 9.7% of whom had received digital risk training (Aref-Adib et al, 2020).…”

Section: Implications and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While vulnerable children have received more attention from policy makers in recent years due to the regular collection of data by the Children's Commissioner for England, what motivates and influences the digital lives of these children and young people is less well understood by frontline services who work with them (El-Asam et al, 2020, 2021b. When explaining why vulnerable young people are more exposed to risk than others one might consider the Social Compensation Hypothesis, which suggests that those who perceive their offline social networks to be lacking seek to compensate through their online activities, for example through their social interactions (e.g., Livingstone et al, 2005;Peter et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Distress and Its Mediating Effect on Experiences of Online Risk: The Case for Vulnerable Young People

El-Asam

Lane

Katz³

2022

Front. Educ.

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There is strong evidence showing that vulnerable children and adolescents, such as children who are carers for their family, in care themselves, or who have a physical disability or special educational needs, are at greater risk of mental health problems and poor social wellbeing. Recent research indicates this heterogenous but vulnerable group is also disadvantaged online and may be at greater risk of harm. This study aimed to examine participants’ vulnerability (vulnerable vs. non-vulnerable), psychological distress, parental e-safety support, and online lives, specifically their experiences of online risk. The roles of psychological distress and parental e-safety support were explored as possible mediators and moderators, respectively, for the relationship between vulnerability and online risk. Survey data was collected from 15,278 participants (11–17 years old; M = 12.60, SD = 1.44), 46.6% identified as females, 46.6% identified as males and 6% identified as “other”. Participants were recruited from schools/colleges in different parts of England, of whom 3,242 were categorised as vulnerable. Using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) the results showed that, when compared to the non-vulnerable participants, the vulnerable groups (single or multiple vulnerabilities) experienced more psychological distress and online risks. They also received less e-safety support from parents or carers. Furthermore, mediation and moderated mediation analysis showed that the relationship between vulnerability and online risk was significantly and partially mediated by psychological distress. Parental e-safety support was found to moderate the relationship between psychological distress and online risk and between vulnerability and online risk. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that vulnerability offline is mirrored online. Psychological interventions and parental e-safety support are required to navigate the internet safely. Children’s services and practitioners should consider online risks in their assessments and interventions.

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Forensic psychological procedures in cases of technology‐facilitated sexual abuse among adolescents: A scoping review

Vale,

Gomes,

Matos

2024

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Technology‐facilitated sexual abuse refers to the use of information and communication technologies to facilitate both virtual and in‐person sexual crimes. Research on this topic has focused on rates, risk factors, and consequences. This scoping review aims to understand whether and how forensic psychological procedures are adapted to assess adolescent victims and how Internet‐based information might be useful as complementary data. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses extensions for Scoping Reviews guidelines, searches were conducted in April 2023 in five electronic databases to include Portuguese, Spanish, or English quantitative, qualitative, or mixed‐method peer‐reviewed studies. Of the 2523 studies, six were considered eligible. Identified procedures include forensic interviews following the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Protocol, and risk and trauma assessments. While discussing technology's role in abuse during interviews was informative, confronting adolescents with evidence of their abuse had adverse effects on their testimony and recovery. The assessment tools often had a narrow focus or overlooked the abuse unless explicitly disclosed, implied a referral, or when safeguarding concerns were raised. Clinical, forensic, and criminal implications are elaborated.

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Children’s services for the digital age: A qualitative study into current procedures and online risks among service users

Cited by 14 publications

References 15 publications

The experiences of practitioners working with young people exposed to online sexual abuse

The experiences of practitioners working with young people exposed to online sexual abuse

Psychological Distress and Its Mediating Effect on Experiences of Online Risk: The Case for Vulnerable Young People

Forensic psychological procedures in cases of technology‐facilitated sexual abuse among adolescents: A scoping review

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