Technology assisted child sexual abuse in the UK: Young people’s views on the impact of online sexual abuse

Hamilton‐Giachritsis, Catherine; Hanson, Elly; Whittle, Helen; Alves-Costa, Filipa; Beech, Anthony R.

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105451

Cited by 25 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In the last two decades, children have increasingly had free access to technology, and as a result they are connected to others even when they are alone (Save the Children, 2017). Notwithstanding the benefits, this connectivity together with the development of technology is also associated with important risks such as online sexual solicitation, grooming or exposure to pornography (Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2020), and this can have serious implications and consequences for children’s sexual development (Hébert et al, 2016; Horvath et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Spain: A Representative Sample Study

Ferragut

Ortiz-Tallo

Blanca

2021

J Interpers Violence

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The prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is difficult to assess, and rates vary widely across studies due to methodological and sample differences. In Spain, prevalence data from representative samples are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different CSA experiences in a sample that was representative of the Spanish population in terms of gender, age, and region. The sample comprised 1,071 (539 male and 532 female) Spanish adults ( Mage = 45.37; SD = 14.84). Participants completed an anonymous online survey about different types of CSA and were asked whether they had disclosed the experience at the time. Prevalence was analyzed as a function of gender and generation. Results indicated prevalence rates ranging from 2.8% to 18.5%, depending on the type of experience. The most common experience suffered during childhood was being shown pornographic material, while that with the lowest prevalence was being forced to perform a sexual act involving penetration. Prevalence was higher in females than males for eight of the ten experiences considered. Young adults from Generation Z were the most likely to report having suffered three of the CSA experiences, two of them related to technology. Only 27.5% of respondents said that they had told someone about the abuse at the time, mainly their mother (more common among females) or a friend/peer (more frequent among males). The results suggest that CSA is prevalent in Spain, with considerable rates for several types of abusive experience, especially among females and the youngest generation. The implications of the results are discussed. The findings may inform social policy and the development of effective prevention programs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Spain: A Representative Sample Study

Ferragut

Ortiz-Tallo

Blanca

2021

J Interpers Violence

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“…These concerns are often accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame and an ongoing sense of vulnerability ( 29 ). Self-blame and self-criticism have been identified in other studies ( 21 , 30 ) alongside feelings of being enmeshed or controlled within a relationship. The psychological consequences for CYP may also include depression, self-harm, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, perceived identity changes, and loss of epistemic trust ( 31 , 32 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Online Child Sexual Abuse, or technology-facilitated abuse ( 21 ), refers to situations involving digital, Internet and Communication Technologies (ICT) at some point during the abuse or exploitation. Furthermore, a review of survey, conviction, and image-related data concluded that there was converging evidence of an increase in some forms of OCSA ( 22 , 23 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…Investigating authorities are also beginning to appreciate the considerable impact of “high harm” offenders; those online offenders who have little intention of meeting children in real life but coerce children to engage in sexual acts through blackmail or coercion. Evidence is beginning to emerge on the impacts of online child sexual abuse and how it can engender levels of sexual harm experienced by online victims comparable to that experienced by offline victims of child sexual offenses (Hanson, 2017 ; Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2017 ; Jonsson et al, 2019 ). Any measure of national socio-economic burden needs to take account of this emerging group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prioritizing Indecent Image Offenders: A Systematic Review and Economic Approach to Understand the Benefits of Evidence-Based Policing Strategies

Giles

Alison

2021

Front. Psychol.

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In 2013, there were an estimated 50,000 individuals involved in downloading and sharing indecent images of children (IIOC) in the United Kingdom (UK). This poses challenges for limited police resources. We argue that police officers can make most effective use of limited resources by prioritizing those offenders who pose the greatest risk of contact offending, by nature of demonstrable pedophilia, hebephilia or dual offending status and thus, those at highest risk must be dealt with first. What is currently lacking is a clear idea of the potential scale of the problem in socio-economic terms and why, therefore, it is so important that evidence-based approaches to offender detection and investigation continue to be a top priority for funders and policy makers. A systematic literature review was undertaken to address two related questions. First, what is the scale of the problem in the UK, in terms of the number of pedophilic and hebephilic individuals who pose a risk of contact offending against a child? Second, what is the potential socio-economic burden generated by the national IIOC suspect pool if left unattended to by targeted police action? Applying population estimates of pedophilia and hebephilia to the male population (16–89 years), we estimate there are between 2,365–5,991 males with paedophila and 12,218–30,952 males with hebephilia who are likely contact offenders. Applying average prevalence and incidence based costing methods to a conservative estimate of one victim per offender, the combined socio-economic burden from these persons could amount to £236-£597 million (incident costs) increasing to £2.9-£7.3 billion (lifetime costs; £3.3-£8.3 billion including QALY measures). Applying the same costs to CEOP (2013) estimate of 50,000 IIOC offenders we estimate that between 6,000 and 27,500 dual offenders could have already committed past contact offenses, contributing an economic burden of between £97–£445 million (incident costs) increasing to £1.2–£5.4 billion (lifetime costs; £1.4–£6.2 billion including QALY measures). Future contact offenses could contribute a further burden of £16–£18.6 million (incident costs) increasing to £198–£227 million (lifetime costs; £226–£260 million including QALY measures). Drawing upon these findings, we argue for the benefits of a research-informed prioritization approach to target IIOC offenders.

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Technology assisted child sexual abuse in the UK: Young people’s views on the impact of online sexual abuse

Cited by 25 publications

References 28 publications

Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Spain: A Representative Sample Study

Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Spain: A Representative Sample Study

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

Prioritizing Indecent Image Offenders: A Systematic Review and Economic Approach to Understand the Benefits of Evidence-Based Policing Strategies

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