INTERNET SEX CRIMES AGAINST JUVENILES

Internet Sex Crimes against Juveniles



Internet Sex Crimes against Juveniles

Introduction

The Internet can be used for a variety of sexual purposes, including sexual enlightenment or advice, erotic matter and pornography, sex shops, and webcams showing sexual activity. In addition, the Internet, with its chat rooms and online forums, its game sites and dating sites, has become a popular contacts market where it is possible to seek and find partners for flirting, love affairs, or sex, whether on a virtual or real-life basis. Although much of this activity involves consenting adults, some sexual solicitation is directed at children and adolescents and leads to the victimization of young people. There is no empirical knowledge yet available on how intensively young people (male and female) in different age groups and cultures participate in the Internet as active searchers for sexual contact. However, they do initiate such activity, which may lead to problematic relationships even when it does not lead to criminal victimization. This paper discusses internet sex crimes against juveniles in a concise and comprehensive way.

Internet Sex Crimes against Juveniles: A Discussion

Boies, Cooper and Osborne (2004) mention surveys carried out in the United States reveal that a significant percentage of both male and female adult users are involved in sexual solicitation on the Internet. From the standpoint of clinical psychology, the vast majority of these users are adults of sound mind who have positive experiences of consensual sexual activities that they engage in online with other adults. However, a minority of those practicing cybersex have psychological difficulties or disorders. People with deviant sexual preferences, such as a sexual interest in children, may take advantage of the anonymity and opportunity for a virtual identity switch that the Internet affords to act out their deviant patterns. It is also possible for them to assert the legitimacy of their behavior in online forums with people who have similar preferences (Boies, Cooper and Osborne, 2004).

In a 2000 U.S. survey by Finkelhor, Mitchell, and Wolak, a representative sample of young users (between 10 and 17 years old) of the Internet were surveyed. About 19% of them declared they had received unwanted sexual solicitation in the previous year. In the majority of cases, the children and young people ignored the messages, and neither online nor offline contacts resulted. However, 5% of those surveyed said they had also received a distressing sexual solicitation. One third of the surveyed youth who had received a solicitation were male, and two thirds were female. According to the youth, adults (age 18 and older) made 24% of all solicitations and juveniles 48% (the age of the solicitor was unknown in the remaining 28% of all solicitations) (Boies, Cooper and Osborne, 2004).

The 2003 National Juvenile Online Victimization Study was conducted in the United States between July 1, 2000, and July 1, 2001, by Wolak, Mitchell, and Finkelhor, to help in determining the scope of Internet sex crimes against minors. An examination of law enforcement activities at the local, county, and state levels turned ...