Online Sexual Solicitation of Minors

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined how frequently online sexual solicitation of adolescents and children by adults occurs and what characteristics the perpetrators have using a novel methodological approach. Method: In an online survey, we investigated the frequency of online sexual solicitation exhibited by adult Internet users (N = 2,828), including a subgroup recruited on pedophilia-related websites. Perpetrators soliciting adolescents were compared to those soliciting children concerning solicitation outcomes (e.g., cybersex) and demography. Results: In total, 4.5 percent reported soliciting adolescents and 1.0 percent reported soliciting children. Most solicitors of adolescents and children were from pedophilia-related websites (49.1 and 79.2 percent). Solicitation frequently involved sexual outcomes (47.5 percent), which also followed nonsexual interaction. The minors’ age did not affect the odds of sexual outcomes. A substantial proportion of perpetrators were female. Conclusions: This study offers unprecedented data on the number of adults soliciting minors. Although adolescents were more often target of solicitation, the risk of sexual outcomes was equally high in solicitation of children, suggesting younger children to be considered in prevention efforts as well. Nonsexual interactions resulting in sexual outcomes need to be more closely examined to inform appropriate prevention efforts. Moreover, awareness should be raised about females as perpetrators.

The Construction and Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire for Online Sexual Solicitation and Interaction of Minors With Adults

“…Finally, nearly three out of four adults involved were men, while one in four was a woman. This prevalence is similar to that found in other studies with online sexual solicitation reported by adult Internet users (Schulz et al, 2016). In contrast with these findings, when we looked for offenders in penal institutions for the interviews, we found no women convicted of online sexual harassment of minors.…”

“…Despite the importance of this issue, there is no validated questionnaire with appropriate psychometric properties to assess online sexual solicitation and interactions by adults, which significantly limits the study and understanding of this phenomenon. To date, studies have included only a few questions in more general victimization surveys (e.g., Mitchell et al, 2007b; Schulz et al, 2016), and psychometric properties have not been reported. Although these studies have provided valuable information on the prevalence and correlations of online sexual solicitation and interactions, it is necessary to conceptually clarify sexual solicitation and interactions with adults and the processes and outcomes related to this problem.…”

“…Factors such as perceived online anonymity, online disinhibition effects, anywhere-anytime availability, and easy access to children create favorable conditions for abuse (Cooper, Putnam, Planchon, & Boies, 1999; Smith, 2012; Suler, 2004). Adolescence is an especially critical developmental period for most online risk behaviors and problems, including use of the Internet to meet strangers (Gámez-Guadix, Borrajo, & Almendros, 2016), who could be adults seeking sexual interactions with minors (Schulz, Bergen, Schuhmann, Hoyer, & Santtila, 2016). The differences in power and experiences between adults and minors could make minors especially vulnerable (Wolak et al, 2010).…”

Assessing the New Normal: Dangers Related to the Internet Use and Risks Facing Vulnerable Psychiatric Populations

“…Dx: Risk for online sexual exploitation as evidence by sharing inappropriate pictures online; Schulz et al (2015) found simply being regularly active online leads to a risk of online sexual abuse. Victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation are likely to experience anxiety and depression.…”

Transnational Child Sexual Abuse: Outcomes from a Roundtable Discussion

“…The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children [15] survey of online child victimization showed that nearly a quarter of minors who reported having received an unwanted sexual contact online were also asked by the offender to meet in person. Consequently, the research to date has mainly focused on the use and function of online networking in the victim grooming process [16,17,18], offender characteristics [19,20], the role of sexual arousal, emotion regulation, shame, and deception in the online solicitation of a minor [21,22], or the “personas” adopted by offenders in the grooming process [23,24], without a specific focus on transnational child sex offending. While previous research, including Harkins and Dixon [1], identified some behavioural characteristics of child sexual abuse networks, to date, there is no detailed account of the demographic characteristics of offenders, and the role these networks play in the normalization and facilitation of child sexual abuse, given that these provide users with an environment to explore their sexual interests [25,26,27].…”