Sexual Exploitation of Children
Sexual Exploitation of Children
A Review of the Literature
Jaime White
Cyber Crimes
Jason Hunter
November 19, 2012
Sexual Exploitation of Children A Review of the Literature The sexual abuse of children and young people is a phenomenon that predates the arrival of the Internet by many, many centuries (Carr, 2003). Pornography can be generally defined as erotic depictions intended to provoke a sexual response. Child pornography is a special case, however; its subject matter abuses and exploits victims protected by international law: non-consenting children. It is this key trait – the illegal victimization of identifiable minors – that sets child pornography apart from classes of material which could be labeled obscene or adult erotica (Casanova, et. al., 2000). Child pornography offenders are coming increasingly to the attention of treatment providers and criminal justice authorities as perpetrators of serious and extremely concerning cybersex crime (Quayle, Vaughan & Taylor, 2006). Being a victim of sexual abuse is challenging enough, but for someone that has been a victim of sexual abuse using the Internet, there are added complications when trying to make sense of what exactly has happened and determining who the offender is. This happens because the actual victims were mostly never touched by the offender, and in many cases, were told to touch themselves or others in order to comply with the directions given by the real offender. The Internet… from the beginning The first recorded description of the social interactions that could be enabled through networking was a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962 discussing his "Galactic Network" concept (Internet Society, 2012). The Internet has modernized the accessibility of child pornography and simplified the viewing, downloading, distribution and production of this type of material. It has provided a
A Review of the Literature
Jaime White
Cyber Crimes
Jason Hunter
November 19, 2012
Sexual Exploitation of Children A Review of the Literature The sexual abuse of children and young people is a phenomenon that predates the arrival of the Internet by many, many centuries (Carr, 2003). Pornography can be generally defined as erotic depictions intended to provoke a sexual response. Child pornography is a special case, however; its subject matter abuses and exploits victims protected by international law: non-consenting children. It is this key trait – the illegal victimization of identifiable minors – that sets child pornography apart from classes of material which could be labeled obscene or adult erotica (Casanova, et. al., 2000). Child pornography offenders are coming increasingly to the attention of treatment providers and criminal justice authorities as perpetrators of serious and extremely concerning cybersex crime (Quayle, Vaughan & Taylor, 2006). Being a victim of sexual abuse is challenging enough, but for someone that has been a victim of sexual abuse using the Internet, there are added complications when trying to make sense of what exactly has happened and determining who the offender is. This happens because the actual victims were mostly never touched by the offender, and in many cases, were told to touch themselves or others in order to comply with the directions given by the real offender. The Internet… from the beginning The first recorded description of the social interactions that could be enabled through networking was a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962 discussing his "Galactic Network" concept (Internet Society, 2012). The Internet has modernized the accessibility of child pornography and simplified the viewing, downloading, distribution and production of this type of material. It has provided a