Technology assisted child sexual abuse: Professionals’ perceptions of risk and impact on children and young people

Hamilton‐Giachritsis, Catherine; Hanson, Elly; Whittle, Helen; Alves-Costa, Filipa; Pintos, Andrea Stephanie; Metcalf, Theo; Beech, Anthony R.

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104651

Cited by 24 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…So far, research has largely focused on offenders and offending behavior (e.g., Briggs et al, 2011 ; Webster et al, 2012 ; Kloess et al, 2014 ; Black et al, 2015 ; De Santisteban et al, 2018 ), with attention more recently turning to its potential consequences. Although the existing knowledge remains sparse, initial results indicate that the consequences of TA-CSA can be as severe and harmful as offline CSA ( Whittle et al, 2013 ; Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2017 ; Jonsson et al, 2019 ; Joleby et al, 2020a ). Adolescents with experience of TA-CSA (and no offline CSA) reported more trauma symptoms than a reference group, at least at the same level as adolescents with experiences of penetrative offline CSA (and no TA-CSA) ( Jonsson et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A wide range of psychological consequences similar to those reported among victims of offline CSA (e.g., psychological suffering, self-harming or suicidal behavior, sleeping problems, trust issues, impaired relationships, and difficulties at school) were identified in court documents regarding victims of TA-CSA ( Joleby et al, 2020a ). It has been suggested that the permanence of pictures of the abuse, which often exist in TA-CSA, potentially complicate the impact of abuse even further and can lead to increased feelings of self-blame ( Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2017 ). This argument resonates with a study showing that knowledge of abuse pictures simply existing, or knowledge of them having been distributed, was related to higher levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms compared to being exposed to undocumented CSA ( Jonsson and Svedin, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Worryingly, there is a common assumption that TA-CSA is a less severe form of sexual abuse. Research has shown that professionals demonstrate a limited understanding of TA-CSA, may view it as less serious, and fail to prioritize its victims by minimizing their abusive experiences ( Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2017 , in press ). Legally, these crimes are also considered less violating and result in lower penalties for the offenders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

et al. 2020

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The aim of the present study was to gain a first-person perspective on the experiences of technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), and a deeper understanding of the way it may affect its victims. Seven young women (aged 17–24) with experience of TA-CSA before the age of 18 participated in individual in-depth interviews. The interviews were teller-focused with the aim of capturing the interviewee’s own story about how they made sense of their experiences over time, and what impact the victimization had on them in the short and long terms. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed a broad range of abusive experiences that had profoundly impacted the individuals’ lives, health and self-concepts. Three dominant themes emerged from the analysis – From thrilling to abusive, Negative effect on health and wellbeing, and A new self after the abuse. From thrilling to abusive captures the wide range of experiences described, starting from the child’s own sexual curiosity to descriptions of having been manipulated or threatened into engaging in sexual activity, as well as the sometimes long and complex process of understanding the severity of one’s experiences. Negative effect on health and wellbeing describes the victimization’s comprehensive impact on the life and health of the participants, how they blamed themselves for what had happened, and the struggle of having to live with the constant fear of pictures from the abuse resurfacing. A new self after the abuse depicts how the victimization impacted the way participants viewed and thought about themselves in relation to others, and distorted their views of their bodies. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on both offline CSA and TA-CSA, as well as theoretical and practical implications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

et al. 2020

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“…In addition, there appears to be a misperception among the general public and professionals of what constitutes “online grooming,” and sexual exploitation and abuse of children via internet technologies, respectively. More specifically, research has shown that professionals who support young people in a therapeutic capacity sometimes perceive “online abuse” to be less impactful and of less urgent concern than “offline abuse.” However, the same piece of research also discovered that “online abuse” can have just as much impact on young people as “offline abuse,” with additional psychological effects due the unique elements of the online environment, such as being in constant contact with the perpetrator (particularly at night, which leads to lack of sleep and subsequent exhaustion), and enduring fear that explicit images may be distributed and made public online ( Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Educational preventative measures that enable children and young people to distinguish legitimate relationships from inappropriate and abusive ones may therefore help tackle CSEA more widely. In a recent NSPCC study, young people highlighted that “online safety” needed to be part of a broader education about healthy relationships and consent (rather than being delivered on its own) ( Hamilton-Giachritsis et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young People’s Experiences of Attending a Theater-in-Education Program on Child Sexual Exploitation

et al. 2021

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Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) has grave implications for the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. It has been linked to a wide range of difficulties which may extend into adulthood. School-based prevention programs that aim to raise awareness (and thereby have the potential to prevent CSEA) are popular, however, have historically lacked robust and consistent evaluation. The purpose of the present study was therefore to explore young people’s experiences of attending a school-based theater-in-education program, and the impact this had on their awareness and understanding of CSEA. Four focus groups of between four to six participants each were conducted with young people from two co-educational State schools in the United Kingdom. The approach of Template Analysis was used to analyze the data, and revealed a number of themes related to the superordinate themes of “Information and Detail Delivered” and “Format and Timing.” The results suggest that participants gained new awareness and understanding of aspects related to CSEA, including other forms of (criminal) exploitation, as well as how to avoid harm and what to do “if bad things happen.” Participants further reported that the theater performance/live element of the program was particularly impactful, feeling that this was delivered to them at the right time, but suggesting that younger people would also benefit from the important messages. In addition, areas for improvement were identified in terms of the delivery of the program, and the issue of victim blaming. Findings are discussed with a view to practical implications and directions for future research.

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Forensic psychological procedures in cases of technology‐facilitated sexual abuse among adolescents: A scoping review

Vale,

Gomes,

Matos

2024

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Technology‐facilitated sexual abuse refers to the use of information and communication technologies to facilitate both virtual and in‐person sexual crimes. Research on this topic has focused on rates, risk factors, and consequences. This scoping review aims to understand whether and how forensic psychological procedures are adapted to assess adolescent victims and how Internet‐based information might be useful as complementary data. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses extensions for Scoping Reviews guidelines, searches were conducted in April 2023 in five electronic databases to include Portuguese, Spanish, or English quantitative, qualitative, or mixed‐method peer‐reviewed studies. Of the 2523 studies, six were considered eligible. Identified procedures include forensic interviews following the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Protocol, and risk and trauma assessments. While discussing technology's role in abuse during interviews was informative, confronting adolescents with evidence of their abuse had adverse effects on their testimony and recovery. The assessment tools often had a narrow focus or overlooked the abuse unless explicitly disclosed, implied a referral, or when safeguarding concerns were raised. Clinical, forensic, and criminal implications are elaborated.

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Technology assisted child sexual abuse: Professionals’ perceptions of risk and impact on children and young people

Cited by 24 publications

References 11 publications

“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

Young People’s Experiences of Attending a Theater-in-Education Program on Child Sexual Exploitation

Forensic psychological procedures in cases of technology‐facilitated sexual abuse among adolescents: A scoping review

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