Julia Davidson

Child sexual abuse: media representations and government reactions

Child Sexual Abuse critically evaluates the development of policy and legislative measures to control sex offenders. The last fifteen years has seen increasing concern on the part of the government, criminal justice agencies, the media and the public, regarding child sexual abuse. This concern has been prompted by a series of events including cases inviting media attention and involving the abduction, sexual abuse and murder of young children. The response to this wave of child sexual abuse revelation has been to introduce increasingly punitive legislation regarding the punishment and control of sex offenders (sex offenders are the only group of offenders in British legal history to have their own act), both in custody and in the community. But this response, it is argued here, has developed in a reactionary way to media and public anxiety regarding the punishment and control of sex offenders (who have abused children) and the perceived threat of such offenders in the community.

EXPLORING YOUNG PEOPLE'S USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND DIGITAL MEDIA IN THE INTERNET SAFETY CONTEXT: A comparison of the UK and Bahrain

This paper explores young peoples use of digital media focusing upon the use of social networking sites (SNS) as a means of networking and communication in the context of internet safety. It also considers cultural and gender differences in the use of the medium. It draws upon recent research conducted by the authors in the UK in 20091 and in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 20102 (the first large-scale research study on young people and internet usage to be conducted in a country in the Middle East). A similar methodological approach was adopted in both studies, which included large random, stratified samples of young people aged 12–18 and focus groups with children aged 7 plus. Both studies investigated internet usage and online behaviours, definitions of risk, awareness of safety and use of SNS. In total, approximately 4,500 young people participated in the research, along with teachers, stakeholders and adults. Findings suggest that young people use digital media in much the same way regardless of the social and cultural contexts, but that culturally gendered perspectives place restrictions upon usage.

Protecting vulnerable young people in cyberspace from sexual abuse: raising awareness and responding globally

This paper explores the danger that young people may be exposed to when using the Internet. The first part sets out the context by considering new developments in UK and international legislation and then explores educational moves to protect children. Focus is upon findings from research undertaken on behalf of the London Metropolitan Police Service in evaluating the Safer Surfing programme designed to enable young people’s safe Internet use. In the final part of this paper it is argued that more must however be done internationally both to protect children online and to curb the growing trade in indecent child images.

Cyber safety for adolescent girls: bullying, harassment, sexting, pornography, and solicitation.

Purpose of review To examine cyber safety for adolescent girls, specifically issues around the definition, measurement, prevalence, and impact of cyberbullying, harassment, sexting, pornography, and solicitation. Recent findings Despite some continuing disagreements about definition, especially around cyberbullying and cyber harassment, and about measurement, it is clear that a significant minority of adolescents have potentially or actually harmful experiences on the Internet. There are important sex differences, and those exploited by pornography are mainly women. On some measures, these dangers have increased in recent years, although the extent can be exaggerated. The nature of Internet grooming appears to be changing. Negative effects are well documented in a range of domains, although more longitudinal studies are needed. Individual coping strategies, family and school-based support, and legal actions, all have a role to play in minimizing these dangers. Summary Cyber safety is an important issue. More research and action is needed, and interventions need to be evaluated for their effectiveness.

Characteristics of the Internet for criminal child sexual abuse by online groomers

This paper presents a number of characteristics of the Internet that makes it attractive to online groomers. Relevant Internet characteristics include disconnected personal communication, mediating technology, universality, network externalities, distribution channel, time moderator, low‐cost standard, electronic double, electronic double manipulation, information asymmetry, infinite virtual capacity, independence in time and space, cyberspace, and dynamic social network. Potential sex offenders join virtual communities, where they meet other persons who have the same interest. A virtual community provides an online meeting place where people with similar interests can communicate and find useful information. Communication between members may be via email, bulletin boards, online chat, web‐based conferencing or other computer‐based media.

The Effects of Using Identity Deception and Suggesting Secrecy on the Outcomes of Adult-Adult and Adult-Child or -Adolescent Online Sexual Interactions

Abstract There is a lack of knowledge about effects of behaviors during online sexual solicitations. Our aims were to explore the prevalence of identity deception and wanting to keep the interaction a secret, and how these behaviors relate to the outcome of sexual interactions online. The participants were adults who self-reported online sexual interactions with a stranger during the last year. We separated them into groups based on the age of their contact: (1) those that interacted sexually with adults (n = 640) and (2) those that interacted sexually with a child or adolescent (n = 136). Neither the prevalence of identity deception, suggesting secrecy, nor the outcomes of the interactions differed between the two groups. Suggesting secrecy increased the likelihood of receiving a sexual picture with an adult contact, whereas using any identity deception increased the likelihood with a child or adolescent. Several deceptions as well as suggesting secrecy increased the likelihood of cybersex within both groups, while using identity deceptions mostly decreased the likelihood of meeting the contact offline in both groups. Suggesting online and offline secrecy increased the likelihood of sexual contact offline with the child or adolescent but not with adult contacts.

Child Victims of Sexual Abuse: Children's Experience of the Investigative Process in the Criminal Justice System

This paper is a selected review of research on issues surrounding the investigation of intra-familial child sexual abuse for children aged eight and above, in the criminal justice system. Particular attention is paid to features of the investigative interview in relation to the childs level of understanding, ability to report and likely emotional response when the proceedings take place. Best practice by police and social care agencies involves establishing valid and reliable information from children while attending to their developmental level and emotional state. The review aims to distil principles optimising this process from both the investigative judicial perspective and the childs focus, as well as from the inter-agency perspective and information sharing. Recommendations are made for improving the interview process based on research and methods from a range of disciplines and to optimise information recording in a format easily shared between agencies. Updated and ongoing training procedures are key to successful practice with training shared across police and social work agencies. The focus of this review is informed by preliminary findings from pilot research in progress on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Child Abuse Investigation Command.

Victims speak: comparing child sexual abusers' and child victims' accounts, perceptions, and interpretations of sexual abuse

Abstract This article presents findings from a longitudinal study 1 that sought to evaluate a treatment program for child sexual abusers. A triangulated methodological approach was adopted drawing upon quantitative and qualitative methodological techniques. The focus here is upon one element of this research. 2 Ninety-one in-depth interviews were conducted over a four-year period with a small, nonrandom sample of twenty-one male offenders who had been convicted of sexual offenses against children. All of the men were subject to probation orders with a psychiatric condition (Criminal Justice Act, 1991). One of the aims of this element of the research was to explore the extent to which evidence of denial could be found in offenders’ accounts of offense circumstance and also to explore the extent to which offenders minimized the nature and extent of abuse perpetrated. Offenders’ accounts of offense circumstances were compared to victim statements, and stark differences emerge. These findings have considerable implications for treatment practice with sex offenders, where victims’ perceptions could be used to directly confront offender denial and minimization. 1The research aimed to explore the effectiveness of a treatment program for offenders which lasted for three years. The research design was structured around the program with interviews and psychometric testing undertaken at key points in time with the same group of respondents. 2The quantitative element of this research will be published shortly but is referred to in the following reports Davidson 2000, 2003 [research funded by the National Probation Service]. Psychometric testing was undertaken over a four-year period with the men attending the treatment program to explore shifts in the extent of denial, blame attribution, and victim empathy over time. Offender cognitive distortions, general health, and self-esteem were also explored via psychometric testing. An interview-administered survey was undertaken with all sex offenders registered with the Probation Service (those on probation and in custody) in order to gather demographic data, and 117 of 150 offenders responded.

Digital forensics in law enforcement: the case of online victimisation of children

Online victimisation of children is concerned with sexual abuse caused with the help of online technologies. Digital forensics is a powerful methodology to discover, prevent and bring criminals to justice. Digital forensics is dependent on tools and access to information from a variety of sources in digital government. This paper reports from a knowledge enhancement project to gain new insights into offender investigations in law enforcement.

The prevalence, nature, and impact of intrafamilial child sexual abuse: findings from a rapid evidence assessment

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings from a study commissioned by the Office of the Children?s Commissioner (OCC) in England, concerning intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)/incest. Specifically, it aims to explore what is known about the prevalence, nature, and impact of IFCSA and where the gaps in knowledge lie. Design/methodology/approach: A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence. Over 57,000 documents were scanned, and 296 ultimately systematically analysed. Findings: It was found that: there is wide variation in prevalence rates between studies; girls are more likely to be victims than boys; the onset of abuse is typically school age; abuse in minority groups is under-reported; sibling abuse may be more common than that by fathers; female perpetrated abuse may be under-reported; families where abuse occurs are often dysfunctional; and IFCSA has significant adverse effects on victims. Research limitations/implications: A REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand. Originality/value: The findings of this research provide the evidence-base for a new two-year inquiry into the subject of IFCSA by the OCC.