ONLINE PREDATORS & PREDATORS

Transcription

1 the myths and realities of ONLINE PREDATORS & PREDATORS Center For Child Advocacy Sixth Annual National Conference Crimes Against Children: The Multiple Faces of Child Victimization Joseph Hanley B.A. Candidate Montclair State 1 University

2 presentation largely based on article ONLINE PREDATORS AND THEIR VICTIMS: Myths, Realties, and Implications for Prevention and Treatment (Wolak et al., 2008) 2

3 Why am I here? Prevalent myths Realities Important contributing factors Offenders The Internet Adolescent development Possible solutions Prevention and treatment 3

4 surveys used 2 waves of the National Juvenile Online Victimization Survey (N-JOV) July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001 Calendar year 2006 First national survey of its kind Youth Internet Safety Surveys 1 and 2 (2000, 2005) Phone surveys (Crimes Against Children Research Center) 4

5 statistics from n-jov survey Of the estimated 500 Internet-initiated sex crimes in the survey 95% were non-forcible 99% of the victims were year olds 75% of the victims are female Among the 25% of male victims, most had met offenders in gay-oriented chat rooms 99% of offenders were male (Wolak et al., 2008) 5

6 WHY PREDATORS?? INACCURATE REPRESENTATIONS IN THE MEDIA 6

7 The Internet 7

8 widespread youth Internet use 93% of Americans between the ages of 12 to 17 use the Internet Exciting alternate world, but consequences Exposure to explicit sexual content Porn sites Chat rooms 8 Intimate communications with strangers

9 Problematic elements Dr. Fred Berlin, Johns Hopkins University School of Psychiatry I think there are three things that are problematic about the Internet, or at least three things. One is the easy accessibility Secondly, there's this illusion of anonymity And thirdly, there is a distortion of reality and fantasy (Dr. Fred Berlin, Johns Hopkins University School of Psychiatry Sexual Disorders Clinic) 9

10 Patterns of vulnerability Risky online behaviors Posting personal information online Interacting online with unknown people Having unknown people on a buddy list Using the Internet to make rude and nasty comments to other Sending personal information to unknown people met online Downloading images from file-sharing programs Visiting x-rated sites on purpose Using the Internet to embarrass or harass people youth are mad at Talking online to unknown people about sex (Ybarra et al., 2007) 10

11 LAw enforcement statistics do not show Unreported crimes Sexual encounters between youths and adults Sexually oriented communications Exposure to explicit online sexual content Developmental concerns Potential problems for youths developing healthy relationships with peers 11

12 DATELINE NBC TO CATCH A PREDATOR 12

13 predator and victim profiles? What are some stereotypes of online predators? 13

14 Myths Violent child molesters use trickery and lie about age Naive Adolescents are coerced Online/Internet predators are pedophiles (Wolak et al., 2008) 14

15 SOME REALITIES Only 5% of offenders lied about their age Violence and abduction were rare Online predators are generally not pedophiles In 73% of the cases, victims who had face to face sexual encounters with offenders, did so more than once 15

16 implications of stats? 99% of the victims were year olds Important aspect contributing to youth online risks? 16

17 Some Key Adolescent DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES Physical and emotional challenges Burgeoning sexuality Identity formation 17

18 Adolescent sexuality Part of normal/healthy human development...however Often not addressed Difficult for adults to accept, or deal with proactively Much easier to target offenders 18

19 Important realities A realistic approach to contributing factors may help reduce risky online behaviors Adolescent emerging/developing sexuality Use of technology by has inherent risks Risky online behaviors may be influenced by the material that they can access, SO Why does the Internet appear to engender problems for offenders and victims?? 19

20 facilitates autonomy Adolescents can adopt different identities and interact away from adult supervision 20

21 IDENTITY FORMATION AND SEXUAL EXPRESSION Experiment with identity Explore developing sexuality Anonymous venue Online, intimate disclosure happens quicker 21

22 NEUROLOGICAL ASPECTS THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF (Norman Doidge, M.D., 2007) Exposure to Sexually explicit images can rewire brain Over sexualization Exposure to deviant sexuality Aversion to healthy face to face relationships with peers Increased risks for adolescents Brain plasticity Less impulse control Lack of emotional maturity 22

23 what has been done? Monitoring of online activity Internet activity monitoring software Place computers where usage can be visually monitored Statutory/legal approach Online sting operations Law enforcement developing cyber crime and child exploitation task forces 23

24 How has the problem been primarily addressed? Criminal justice component Targets offenders Doesn t address other contributing factors Develop Preventative approaches also For potential victims For potential perpetrators Understanding of the nature of the problem is critical for prevention and treatment 24

25 Dr. Fred Berlin Johns Hopkins University School of Psychiatry Sexual Disorders Clinic. Dr. Fred Berlin 25

26 preventive measures TARGETing ADOLESCENTS Emphasize illegality Sexual relationships with adults Adults sharing explicit sexual content Point out inequality of power and maturity Risk of unhealthy sexual development Importance of healthy offline relationships with peers 26

27 In addition to legal approaches going forward Educate youths about risks Focus on adolescent autonomy, romance, and sex Public health component Address Internet-related sex crimes and disorders 27 More specialized research

28 Summary Myths about online predators are inaccurate The Internet has inherent risks for adolescents Adolescent Sexuality Identity Formation Risky Online Behaviors Appropriately tailored, targeted approaches Criminal justice + Public Health Component 28

29 Video targeting teens VIDEO PRODUCED BY NETSMART.ORG 29

30 USEFUL LINKS Crimes Against Children Research Center: Internet Solutions For Kids: National center For Missing and Exploited Children: rvlet?languagecountry=en_us& Internet Crimes Against Children Training: Microsoft Safety and Security Center: Pew Research Center 30

31 misunderstood Statistics about Online Sexual Solicitations 1 in 7 youth are threatened by online predators? These statistics have been misunderstood 31

32 CLARIFCAtion of stats These solicitations did not necessarily come from online predators These solicitations were not necessarily devious or intended to lure Most recipients did not view the solicitations as serious or threatening Almost all youth handled unwanted solicitations easily and effectively Extremely few youth (only 2) were actually sexually victimized by someone they met online (Ybarra, 2007) 32

33 UPDATES between the 2 waves of n-jov 21% increase in arrests of offenders who solicited youth online for sex. During the same time, there was a 381% increase in arrests of offenders who solicited undercover investigators posing as youth. In 2006, of those arrested for soliciting online, 87% solicited undercover investigators and 13% solicited youth. the growth of law enforcement activity against online crimes. The nature of crimes in which online predators used the Internet to meet and victimize youth changed little between 2000 and 2006, despite the advent of social networking sites. Victims were adolescents, not younger children. During the same period that online predator arrests were increasing, overall sex offenses against children and adolescents were declining, as were overall arrests for such crimes. Arrests of online predators in 2006 constituted about 1% of all arrests for sex crimes committed against children and youth. During the interval between the two studies ( ), the percentage of U.S. youth Internet users ages increased from 73% to 93%. Although arrests of online predators are increasing, especially arrests for soliciting undercover law enforcement, the facts do not suggest that the Internet is facilitating an epidemic of sex crimes against youth. Rather, increasing arrests for online predation probably reflect increasing rates of youth Internet use, a migration of crime from offline to online venues, and Most offenders were open about their sexual motives in their online communications with youth. Few crimes (5%) involved violence. 33 There was no evidence that online predators were stalking or abducting unsuspecting victims based on information they posted at social networking sites. There was a significant increase in arrests of young adult offenders, ages 18 to 25. Few of those arrested for online predation were registered sex offenders (4%).