"Looking is not as bad as touching - or is it?" Considering risk in offenders who use child sexual exploitation material

There has been much debate about the availability of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) on the internet, highlighted by the tragic deaths of April Jones (5 years) and Tia Sharp (12 years), whose killers viewed and collected CSEM. Discussion surrounding such cases has focused on a potentially causal link between CSEM and sexually motivated crimes against children. Since the advent of the internet, convictions for the possession, exchange and/or production of CSEM have risen dramatically. A substantial body of research on internet sex offenders has emerged and professionals are developing a knowledge base regarding assessment and treatment needs of CSEM users. However, the question of risk remains a central concern: How likely is a CSEM user to commit a contact sex offence against a child in the future? Is there a causal link between “looking” and “touching”? The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, together with Prof Derek Perkins (West London Mental Health Trust) & Dr Hannah Merdian (University of Lincoln) would like to invite you to a one-day conference addressing the issue of risk assessment and risk management in working with CSEM users. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) is a child protection charity, committed to reducing the risk of children being sexually abused. Proceeds from the conference and any donations will go to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation with sincere thanks to support its work

The implicit theories of child sexual exploitation materials users: an initial conceptualization

Contact sexual offenders have been proposed to hold a set of distorted core beliefs about themselves, others, and the world. These beliefs (or ‘implicit theories’) bias information in an offense-supportive manner, contributing to the etiology and maintenance of sexual offending. In recent years, there has been an increased research interest in online ‘child sexual exploitation material’ (CSEM) users, particularly since research has shown they are distinct from contact child abusers. In light of their distinction, it is hypothesized that CSEM users will possess their own set of implicit theories that guide their interpretation of intra/interpersonal information in a manner that influences the viewing and downloading of CSEM. Following a qualitative analysis of the existing empirical CSEM literature, an initial conceptualization of the implicit theories held by CSEM users is offered in the present paper. These include: ‘Unhappy World’, ‘Children as Sexual Objects’, ‘Nature of Harm (CSEM variant)’, ‘Self as Uncontrollable’, and ‘Self as Collector’, each of which is contextualized by a general assumption about the reinforcing nature of the Internet. The paper provides a detailed account of each implicit theory, including its content and function. Practical and research implications are also highlighted

Internet-based child sexual exploitation: case formulation and intervention planning

This workshop will review current research and practice on assessing and intervening with individuals who access child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), and introduce the UK onlineProtect Pathways Model of CSEM offending for assessment and treatment planning. The model comprises motivational and facilitative factors, including the interactions between personal vulnerabilities, situational factors and the online contingences operating on those accessing CSEM. Our approach to case assessment and formulation, with accompanying worksheets and case material, will be made available alongside opportunities for participants to raise and discuss cases and issues of concern in their own professional practice

Characteristics of internet sexual offenders: a review

The review presented in this paper provides some descriptive findings regarding Internet Sex Offenders (ISOs) in comparison to contact sex offenders. In general, Internet Sex Offenders are found to be Caucasian, male, relatively young, highly educated, intelligent, and well-employed. ISOs also appear to be highly sexualised, in both their current lifestyle as well as childhood experiences as victims. ISOs can also be classified into several subgroups, such as child pornography offenders, who again are a heterogeneous group themselves. Professionals dealing with ISOs should be aware that they seem to share similar deficits with contact sex offenders but might differ in some important areas. This information should be kept in mind when reading their files, establishing treatment needs, and interpreting psychometric test results. To date no personality and risk measure is validated on this 'new' or emerging offender category, hence any results should be interpreted with caution

The development of the Children, Internet and Sex Cognitions (CISC) Scale: understanding the cognitions of child sexual exploitation material offenders

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The internet and sexual offending: an international perspective

Although the sexual abuse of children is a long-standing problem that has received considerable scholarly attention, still little is understood about sex offenses that occur by means of, or are facilitated through, the Internet. Increasing awareness of the Internet as a platform for the perpetration of sexual crimes has raised new questions on this aspect of criminal behavior. Of interest, for example, is whether those who engage in Internet-related sex crimes are a distinct type of sexual offender, or whether these offenders “merely” use newer technological methods to facilitate or perpetrate offenses. Moreover, little is known about the patterns, motivations, or typological similarities among types of individuals who use the Internet to commit sexual crimes. Of further concern is the risk posed by this class of sexual offenders, particularly the extent or rate at which those with an Internet-based conviction will escalate to (or have already engaged in) other types of sexual offences, especially “hands on” or contact sexual offenses. In reviewing the current empirical literature and drawing attention to areas of research need, this chapter addresses these and other pertinent questions related to use of the Internet in the commission of sexual offenses This chapter also draws focus to the importance of international cooperation, including policing, industry, (e.g., Internet Service Providers [ISPs], finance companies), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in the control and persecution of these offenses. Given the still limited empirical knowledge in this area, coupled with the inherently global nature of the Internet and the pace of technological advancement, the prosecution of Internet-based sexual crimes poses unique challenges that require thoughtful and rigorous scholarly attention

Thinking outside the box: developing dynamic data visualizations for psychology with Shiny

The study of human perception has helped psychologists effectively communicate data rich stories by converting numbers into graphical illustrations and data visualization remains a powerful means for psychology to discover, understand and present results to others. However, despite an exponential rise in computing power, the World Wide Web and ever more complex data sets, psychologists often limit themselves to static visualizations. While these are often adequate, their application across professional psychology remains limited. This is surprising as it is now possible to build dynamic representations based around simple or complex psychological data sets. Previously, knowledge of HTML, CSS or Java was essential, but here we develop several interactive visualizations using a simple web application framework that runs under the R statistical platform: Shiny. Shiny can help researchers quickly produce interactive data visualizations that will supplement and support current and future publications. This has clear benefits for researchers, the wider academic community, students, practitioners, and interested members of the public

“It’s not a waste of time!” Academics’ views on the role and function of academic reading: A thematic analysis

The role of academic writing in the development of academic literacy in university students has been considered in some depth in the literature. However, the view of lecturers as to the role and value of academic reading is notably less explored and warrants further exploration. Academic staff from a broad range of subject areas were invited to participate in a survey on the role and function of academic reading. Using an explorative approach, the study investigated academics’ views about reading behaviour with regards to the students’ academic journey, their own academic development, and its incorporation into their teaching. All comments were thematically analysed, resulting in a number of elicited themes and subthemes. The paper highlighted the key role of academics in the modelling, rewarding, and teaching of academic reading and discusses practical implications for Higher Education, particularly with regards to academic teaching and students’ skills development

Effective communication between students and lecturers: improving student-led communication in educational settings

This study investigated students’ communication preferences in educational settings, resulting in an empirical model of effective communication between students and lecturers. Students from a psychology department at a UK university were asked about their preferred communication tool for academic purposes, including social networking, emails, university-internal virtual learning environments, and face-to-face communication. The data was analysed using methods of exploratory data analysis and cluster analysis. Students clearly expressed a preference for social networking sites when communicating with peers due to their frequent and widespread use, fast response rate, and ease of access, but preferred face-to-face meetings when sufficient time was available. When communicating with lecturers, students had a preference to use email. The findings also showed that students preferred to attend lecturers over reading lecture slides online. Based on these results, an empirical model of students’ communication preferences in educational settings was developed aimed to aid in the effective management of student-lead communication. The study concludes with a critical evaluation of ways students and lecturers can improve communication between each other and how this can positively contribute to students’ university experience

Phallometric assessment of sexual arousal

The penile plethysmograph is a device which measures male sexual arousal by means of a transducer around the subjects’ penis while various stimuli are presented. Although this seems to be a simple enough premise, half a century of research has failed to demonstrate that the assessment is either reliable or valid. It does, however, seem to be a significant predictor of risk. This chapter reviews the literature around the reliability and validity of phallometric assessment, the limitations to its use, its contribution to risk assessment, and alternatives to its use, and concludes with remarks on the future of the phallometry