Paper Example on Online Child Sexual Abuse: An Increasing Global Epidemic

Online child sexual abuse and online child sexual exploitation are one of the computer crimes that have increased exponentially in contemporary times. The vice entails the use of information and communication technology where computer use and advancement falls squarely in the predatory nature of the enforcers of the crime (Hallett, 2017). The offenders use information technology to abuse or exploit children sexually. According to Katharina.kiener-manu (n.d.), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) defines child sexual abuse is the contact or interactions between a child and an older or a more knowledgeable person when the child is the object of the older person's sexual needs. In this way, sexual activity involving a child and an adult qualifies as a child sexual abuse. When the crime is committed in the online environment, it then becomes online sexual abuse.

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The hallmark of online child sexual abuse is the use of force, bribery, threats of pressure, and other improper means to try to get the children to consent to sexual behavior without their wish (Wortley, 2018). In most cases, sexual activity occurs when the adult exploits the child's innocence by bribing them. In the online environment, child sexual abuse could be luring the child to send nude photographs of themselves or videos when they are assuming some form of sexual activity. Perpetrators of the online child sexual abuse do so when they attempt to abuse the child's vulnerability or position of power for monetary or any other benefit (Martellozzo, 2017). Thus, the online sexual predators look for vulnerable children whom they then coerce to engage in sexual activities in the online sphere even when what they are doing is morally and legally wrong. In most instances, child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation often overlap, making it difficult to distinguish the two forms of computer crime.

There are various types of online child sexual exploitation and abuse that the perpetrators of the crime peddle online. One of these types is online grooming, which entails enticing a child to perform sexual acts (Caretti, Schimmenti & Bifulco, 2015). For instance, the perpetrator, who is often the adult, befriends the child with intentions of using them for sexual gratification. In such an instance, the adult befriends the child with intentions of getting them to perform sexual acts in the long run. The befriending of the child is often a way of getting them to be amenable to suggestions which the adults begin to give the children as soon as they believe that they can trust them. In most instances, online grooming has stages where the two parties involved participate in the act of getting to know each other over time. It often begins when the perpetrator selects the victims using the various social media platforms. Social media platforms are the basis for the selection of victims as most perpetrators can often find information that they need before they begin their process of befriending the victims. Perpetrators choose their victims based on their attractiveness, and thus, physical appearance is often the first conduit into the sexual abuse. The next stage of the process is to contact them in a bid to form a friendship. The friendship aims at getting the child to lower their guard to the point that they are impressionable. Over time, the interaction will ultimately lead to sexual acts. The grooming thus begins as a basis for future sexual involvement.

The second type of online child sexual abuse is exploitation material where the child is engaged in any form of real or simulated explicit sexual activities for primarily sexual purposes (Hanson, 2019). The showing of a child's sexual parts thus qualifies as exploitation material where the perpetrator could be asking for nude pictures, videos, and creating representations of sexual activities. Children engaging in activities akin to sexual acts qualify as exploitation material, and the perpetrator can be convicted of online child sexual abuse. In the contemporary world of online communication and technological advancement, the perpetrators of the online child sexual abuse are numerous as they have numerous channels to reach the children and get them to perform the acts that they like. Owing to the rampant nature of the matter, it is a significant issue that requires in-depth analysis to try and come up with lasting solutions to mitigate the rampant vice. It is for this reason that I chose to explore more on the subject of online child sexual abuse. The numerous means of communication provide ammunition to the perpetrators who can hide behind a computer screen and make innocent children engage in acts that they are not even aware of. Additionally, the distribution of the content that features children participating in sexual acts qualifies as online child sexual abuse. Thus, even the people who share such material can be convicted as sexual predators. Therefore, it is essential to educate the masses on the scope of child abuse in a bid to influence them to desist from engaging in such activities.

References

Caretti, V., Schimmenti, A., & Bifulco, A. (2015). Psychopathology of online grooming. Online Offending Behaviour and Child Victimization, 91-119. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-36511-8_5

Hallett, S. (2017). From ‘child prostitution’ to ‘child sexual exploitation’: An overview. Making Sense of Child Sexual Exploitation. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447333586.003.0002

Hanson, E. (2019). ‘Losing track of morality’:. Child Sexual Exploitation: Why Theory Matters, 87-116. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvsn3nv6.11

Katharina.kiener-manu. (n.d.). Cybercrime module 12 key issues: Online child sexual exploitation and abuse. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/cybercrime/module-12/key-issues/online-child-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse.html

Martellozzo, E. (2017). Online sexual grooming. Cybercrime and its Victims, 108-128. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315637198-7

Wortley, R. (2018). Child sexual abuse and opportunity. Oxford Handbooks Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190279707.013.29