Researching Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:Are There Links Between Online and Offline Vulnerabilities?

This Guide is concerned with the methods used in research into online child exploitation and abuse. There are challenges for researchers in the variety of definitions used, how they are operationalised, and how they are measured, which makes comparison between studies difficult. The research is dominated by surveys, many of which have been developed with little regard to their content validity or their psychometric properties. There are, however, good examples of survey methodology, as evidenced in the Juvenile Victimisation Questionnaire (JVQ). Surveys are also reliant on self-report, which may be influenced by recall issues, respondent bias and subjective interpretation of questionnaire items. This Guide explores some of these methodological issues and how researchers have responded to them. It also considers the central assumption that online sexual abuse and exploitation causes harm. Many of the studies reviewed are cohort studies that sample their population at a single time point; however, this Guide identifies more recent, longitudinal studies that go beyond establishing a relationship between online exploitation and abuse and psychosocial well-being to look at what might predict change. The majority of the studies identified were from high-income countries. While there has been research in low-middle-income countries, these have relied on convenience sampling and small sample sizes, with an over-reliance on descriptive case studies. The Guide concludes with identifying good practice and providing some easily accessible resources to facilitate the development of robust research

The postnatal support needs of mothers with an intellectual disability

OBJECTIVE: there is growing evidence that many parents with intellectual disabilities can parent successfully when given adequate support. This paper aims to explore the postnatal care experiences of mothers with an intellectual disability. DESIGN: a qualitative design was used and data were collected using a semi-structured interview format and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. SETTING: the study took place in community settings in Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: six mothers with intellectual disabilities were interviewed about their experiences. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: two super-ordinate themes are discussed with accompanying subthemes: challenges of providing support and how support was delivered. KEY CONCLUSIONS: the mothers valued formal postnatal care, but this was secondary to informal support. How mothers perceived the support impacted on its effectiveness and building effective relationships with professionals presented challenges. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: the study suggests the structure and quality of the wider support networks of mothers with an intellectual disability are central and should be taken account of by professionals. Providing information and advice in ways that validates the mother's role is also important, particularly as the mother's perception of how help is given can impact on the degree to which mothers engage with professional

Deterrence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation

Abstract ‘Cyberspace’ has added a dimension to the ecology of the child and should be a starting point for practitioners (including police) to think about digital media in the context of child sexual abuse. While there is no evidence to suggest that online abuse and exploitation is a more serious offence than crimes occurring offline, the behaviours enabled by social media may present a significant risk factor for some children. This article gives a brief overview of the phenomena and prevalence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation and the role that the Internet may play. This is considered in relation to deterrence, prevention and management of these crimes, and further develops a public health approach to online child abuse and exploitation. Finally, the article critically considers emerging evidence to support this interaction between the individual and the online environment.</jats:p

Understanding online grooming:An interpretative phenomenological analysis of adolescents' offline meetings with adult perpetrators

BackgroundIt is the norm for adolescents to form friendships online but connecting with strangers poses risks of online grooming. Adult perpetrators take advantage of the internet's anonymity and accessibility to befriend and groom young people for sexual abuse. Much of the existing research has focused on the offender's perspective and grooming tactics, while extensive studies on victim profiles have focused on risk factors and young people's vulnerabilities to online grooming.ObjectiveThis research takes an in-depth look into grooming processes from the perspective of the adolescent victim and explores how the relationships progressed online-to-offline, resulting in sexual abuse. It aims to understand young people's motivations and mindsets by exploring their lived experiences of offline meeting with adult perpetrators.Participants and settingThe sample consisted of adolescents aged 14–21 in the UK and EU.MethodsUsing data from the Risk-taking Online Behavior Empowerment through Research and Training Project, six interviews were examined using an interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsFour themes emerged: 1) Varied interpretations of risk 2) Taking control 3) Seeking security and validation; and 4) Shifts in perspective. The subtleties of online grooming were masked by the adolescents' misplaced trust as they displayed agency in pursuing opportunities for online friendships or sexual activities.ConclusionsFindings suggest an insufficient knowledge of grooming and the need to more clearly define risks among adolescents. Safety guidelines should highlight the subtleties of grooming tactics and harmful behaviours that may not be readily perceived as abuse