Understanding and Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation of Children

In the last decade there has been increased interest in the ways that technology has been used in the abuse and exploitation of children, due in part to increasing numbers of convictions for child pornography-related offenses. However, the published academic and professional literature at times seems to create more questions than answers and what quickly becomes apparent is that the data we have to inform our understanding is partial, potentially context specific and at times seemingly contradictory. Media coverage of Internet mediated crimes against children often seem to mirror the polarized positions of professionals and academics who work in the area, with the pendulum swinging between those who feel that there is a danger of distorting the threat posed to children by technology, and those for whom it appears that the threat has been grossly underestimated. Decisions are being made daily about the similarities that people involved in the downloading and distribution of Internet child pornography share with those who commit sexual offences against children in the offline world, and in particular the risk that those engaged in Internet related offences pose to children in both the online and offline environments. This book has its origin in a meeting in 2008 of the G8 countries, organized by the US Department of Justice and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, examining the relationship between online and offline offenses and preventing the sexual exploitation of children. The meeting was important in synthesizing current research and highlighting gaps in our knowledge. This is reflected in the book "s chapters which focus on new research and conceptual thinking that views perpetrators within context, examines those impacted by such offending, describes emerging legal and policy issues, and proposes innovative strategies for prevention within a dynamic global environment.