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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for internet safety
42 results foundAuthor: Spielhofer, Thomas Title: Children's Online Risks and Safety: A Review of the Available Evidence. Summary: This review presents findings from a mapping study on topics related to the online risks to children. The main topics investigated include: evidence on access and use of the internet by children in the UK; evidence on the characteristics of children accessing the internet; evidence on the online risks for children and young people; and evidence on attempts at safeguarding children's online experiences. Details: Upton Park, UK: National Education for Education Research, 2010. 36p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118078 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Safety |
Author: Sykiotou, Athanassia P. Title: Trafficking in Human Beings: Internet Recruitment Summary: This report presents the current methods used by human traffickers to recruit their victims via the Internet, and identifies legal, administrative and technical means used to combat this misuse. Details: Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2007. 145p. Source: Year: 2007 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119797 Keywords: Human TraffickingInternet SafetySexual Exploitation |
Author: Financial Action Task Force Title: Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Vulnerabilities of Commercial Websites and Internet Payment Systems Summary: Criminals have shown adaptability and opportunism in finding new channels to launder the proceeds of their illegal activities and to finance terrorism. As the Internet becomes more and more a worldwide phenomenon, commercial websites and Internet payment systems are potentially subject to a wide range of risks and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by criminal organizations and terrorist groups. This study analyses money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks with commercial websites and Internet payment systems with the focus on mediated customer-to-customer websites as the most vulnerable to abuse because of their popularity, accessibility to the public, and high volume of cross border transactions. The analysis also provides a number of case studies that illustrate how mediated customer-to-customer websites can be exploited for ML/TF purposes. Details: Paris: FATF, 2008. 39p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118344 Keywords: Internet CrimesInternet SafetyMoney LaunderingOrganized CrimeTerrorist FinancingTerrorists |
Author: Berardi, Giorgio Title: The Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Connection with Cases of Child-Sex Tourism in East and Southeast Asia Summary: This report presents a review of the literature on the current state of known interactions between Internet communication technology and child-sex tourism. It includes: 1) an analysis of the nature, extent and trends in the use of information technology for faciliting sexual exploitation of children, especially in East and Southeast Asia; and 2) an analysis of targeted recommendations for action by key actors to prevent and protect children from being sexually exploitation through tourism. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT International, 2010. 68p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 119223 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TourismInternet SafetySex TourismSexual Exploitation |
Author: Australia. Parliament. House of Representatives. Standing Committee on Communications Title: Hackers, Fraudsters and Botnets: Tackling the Problem of Cyber Crime. The Report of the Inquiry into Cyber Crime Summary: This report asserts that Australian home computer users and small businesses have been left to fend for themselves against the growing problem of organized cyber crime. The committee makes 34 recommendations aimed at improving Australia's response to the growth of cyber crime, and further recommends that an Office of Online Security be established to coordinate cyber crime policy across the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, and foster partnerships with industry and the community. Details: Canberra: Australian Parliament, 2010. 260p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119160 Keywords: Computer CrimesCybercrimeIdentity TheftInternet SafetyOrganized Crime |
Author: Byron, Tanya Title: Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review Summary: - The internet and video games are very popular with children and young people and offer a range of opportunities for fun, learning and development. - But there are concerns over potentially inappropriate material, which range from content (e.g. violence) through to contact and conduct of children in the digital world. - Debates and research in this area can be highly polarised and charged with emotion. - Having considered the evidence I believe we need to move from a discussion about the media 'causing' harm to one which focuses on children and young people, what they bring to technology and how we can use our understanding of how they develop to empower them to manage risks and make the digital world safer. - There is a generational digital divide which means that parents do not necessarily feel equipped to help their children in this space - which can lead to fear and a sense of helplessness. This can be compounded by a risk-averse culture where we are inclined to keep our children 'indoors' despite their developmental needs to socialise and take risks. - While children are confident with the technology, they are still developing critical evaluation skills and need our help to make wise decisions. - In relation to the internet we need a shared culture of responsibility with families, industry, government and others in the public and third sectors all playing their part to reduce the availability of potentially harmful material, restrict access to it by children and to increase children's resilience. - I propose that we seek to achieve gains in these three areas by having a national strategy for child internet safety which involves better self-regulation and better provision of information and education for children and families. - In relation to video games, we need to improve on the systems already in place to help parents restrict children's access to games which are not suitable for their age. - I propose that we seek to do that by reforming the classification system and pooling the efforts of the games industry, retailers, advertisers, console manufacturers and online gaming providers to raise awareness of what is in games and enable better enforcement. - Children and young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe - this isn't just about a top-down approach. Children will be children - pushing boundaries and taking risks. At a public swimming pool we have gates, put up signs, have lifeguards and shallow ends, but we also teach children how to swim. Details: Nottingham, UK: Department of Children, Schools and Families; Department of Culture, Media and Sport, 2008. 224p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2018 at: http://childcentre.info/robert/extensions/robert/doc/6f4474a71e4794a8c119a0c8fb8ab8ef.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review Shelf Number: 115676 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GamingVideo Games |
Author: Byron, Tanya Title: Do We Have Safer Children in a Digital World? A Review of Progress Since the 2008 Byron Review Summary: 1. In the last two years there has been significant progress on improving children's digital safety which I am pleased to highlight in this report. As the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) enters the next phase of its work, I think it is a good time to take stock of progress so far and consider priorities. I hope this report will help UKCCIS to build on its successes, as in the fast-paced digital world the UK and UKCCIS will need to speed up to stay ahead as the world leader in child digital safety. 2. In the first phase of this work I have been impressed by the public awareness campaign which I think gives clear and concise messages to help parents educate their children. 3. I have also been struck by the improvements to educational resources which are enabling our children and young people to develop the resilience and skills they need to negotiate their digital lives. These skills will in turn help them to educate their children, as today's children are tomorrow's parents. 4. The UK is a world leader in improving children's digital safety. The establishment of UKCCIS is a significant achievement, bringing together a range of influential organisations with an interest in, or a responsibility for, keeping children and young people safe on the internet. The council is to be congratulated on publishing the first UK child internet safety strategy in December 2009. 5. In preparing this report, I have gathered evidence through talking to UKCCIS executive board members, children and young people, parents, wider stakeholders and a survey of 148 members of UKCCIS. 6. The recommendations in this report are intended to support the recommendations in my 2008 review and the ongoing work of UKCCIS. I planned for my 2008 recommendations to be delivered over a five-year timescale, so I would not expect them all to have been completed by now. For this reason this report does not deliver a recommendation by recommendation audit of my 2008 review. Details: Annesley, UK: Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 224, 2018 at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/709/7/do%20we%20have%20safer%20children%20in%20a%20digital%20world-WEB_Redacted.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/709/7/do%20we%20have%20safer%20children%20in%20a%20digital%20world-WEB_Redacted.pdf Shelf Number: 119455 Keywords: Child WelfareComputer CrimesInternetInternet SafetyVideo Games |
Author: Baker, Wade Title: 2010 Data Breach Investigations Report Summary: "In some ways, data breaches have a lot in common with fingerprints. Each is unique and we learn a great deal by analyzing the various patterns, lines, and contours that comprise each one. The main value of fingerprints, however, lies in their ability to identify a particular individual in particular circumstances. In this sense, studying them in bulk offers little additional benefit. On the other hand, the analysis of breaches in aggregate can be of great benefit; the more we study, the more prepared we are to stop them. Not surprisingly, the United States Secret Service (USSS) is also interested in studying and stopping data breaches. This was a driving force in their decision to join us in this 2010 Data Breach Investigations Report. They’ve increased the scope of what we’re able to study dramatically by including a few hundred of their own cases to the mix. Also included are two appendices from the USSS. One delves into online criminal communities and the other focuses prosecuting cybercrime. We’re grateful for their contributions and believe organizations and individuals around the world will benefit from their efforts. With the addition of Verizon’s 2009 caseload and data contributed from the USSS, the DBIR series now spans six years, 900+ breaches, and over 900 million compromised records." Details: Basking Ridge, NJ: Verizon Business, 2010. 64p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119521 Keywords: CybercrimeInternetInternet Safety |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice Title: The National Strategy for Child Prevention and Interdiction: A Report to Congress Summary: "The sexual abuse and exploitation of children rob the victims of their childhood, irrevocably interfering with their emotional and psychological development. Ensuring that all children come of age without being disturbed by sexual trauma or exploitation is more than a criminal justice issue, it is a societal issue. Despite efforts to date, the threat of child sexual exploitation remains very real, whether it takes place in the home, on the street, over the Internet, or in a foreign land. Because the sexual abuse and exploitation of children strikes at the very foundation of our society, it will take our entire society to combat this affront to the public welfare. Therefore, this National Strategy lays out a comprehensive response to protect the right of children to be free from sexual abuse and to protect society from the cost imposed by this crime. In the broadest terms, the goal of this National Strategy is to prevent child sexual exploitation from occurring in the first place, in order to protect every child’s opportunity and right to have a childhood that is free from sexual abuse, trauma, and exploitation so that they can become the adults they were meant to be. This Strategy will accomplish that goal by efficiently leveraging assets across the federal government in a coordinated manner. All entities with a stake in the fight against child exploitation—from federal agencies and investigators and prosecutors, to social service providers, educators, medical professionals, academics, non-governmental organizations, and members of industry, as well as parents, caregivers, and the threatened children themselves—are called upon to do their part to prevent these crimes, care for the victims, and rehabilitate the offenders." Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2010. 280p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 10, 2010 at http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/docs/natstrategyreport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/docs/natstrategyreport.pdf Shelf Number: 119589 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet Safety |
Author: Synovate (UK) Ltd Title: Staying Safe Survey 2009: Young People and Parents' Attitudes Around Internet Safety Summary: This reports presents the results of a survey of young people and parents’ attitudes and confidence around a number of safety issues. The survey was conducted through face to face in-home interviews: 1,433 with parents and carers of children ages 0 to 17 across the UK and 833 children and young people aged 12 to 17. Details: London: Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009. 159p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 13, 2010 at: http://www.rawmarsh-comp.rotherham.sch.uk/staying%20safe%2009.pdf; Research Report DCSF-RR183 Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.rawmarsh-comp.rotherham.sch.uk/staying%20safe%2009.pdf; Research Report DCSF-RR183 Shelf Number: 118543 Keywords: Internet Safety |
Author: Livingstone, Sonia Title: Risks and Safety on the Internet: The Perspective of European Children. Initial Findings from the EU Kids Online Survey of 9-16 Year Olds and Their Parents. Summary: This report presents the initial findings from a new and unique survey designed and conducted according to rigorous standards by the EU Kids Online network. It was funded by the EC's Safer Internet Programme in order to strengthen the evidence base for policies regarding online safety. A random stratified sample of 23,420 children aged 9-16 who use the internet, plus one of their parents, was interviewed during Spring/Summer 2010 in 25 European countries. Findings reported here are based on 23 of these countries. The survey asked about these online risks: pornography, bullying, receiving sexual messages, contact with people not known face to face, offline meetings with online contacts, potentially harmful user-generated content and personal data misuse. Details: London: EU Kids Online, 2010. 127p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/Initial_findings_report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/Initial_findings_report.pdf Shelf Number: 120357 Keywords: BullyingInternet CrimesInternet SafetyPornography |
Author: Davidson, Julia Title: Current Practice and Research into Internet Sex Offending Summary: This report seeks to explore the current and recent practice of Scottish, English, Welsh and international governments, organisations and agencies in assessing risk and managing and treating internet sex offenders. The research aims were addressed via a literature review, documentary analysis of key legislation, policy and practice documents and semi-structured interviews with a small number of key respondents with expertise in the area and representatives from criminal justice agencies (N=15). Details: Paisley, Scotland: Risk Management Authority, 2007. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.rmascotland.gov.uk/try/research-papers/ Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.rmascotland.gov.uk/try/research-papers/ Shelf Number: 120822 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline VictimizationSex Offenders |
Author: Detica Title: The Cost of Cyber Crime. A Detica Report in Partnership with the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance in the Cabinet Office Summary: "Few areas of our lives remain untouched by the digital revolution. Across the world, there are now nearly two billion internet users and over five billion mobile phone connections; every day, we send 294 billion emails and five billion SMS messages. Over 91 per cent of UK businesses and 73 per cent of UK households have internet access and £47.2 billion was spent online in the UK alone in 2009. Our society is now almost entirely dependent on the continued availability, accuracy and confidentiality of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT). We need it for our economic health, for the domestic machinery of government, for national defence and for our day-to-day social and cultural existence. As well as significant benefits, the technology has also enabled old crimes to be committed in new and more subtle ways. In its National Security Strategy, cyber threats are recognised by the Government as one of four ‘Tier One’ risks to the UK’s security. But estimates of the cost of cyber crime have until now not been able to provide a justifiable estimate of economic impact and have failed to address the breadth of the problem. Therefore, the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance (OCSIA) worked with Detica to look more closely at the cost of cyber crime in the UK and, in particular, to gain a better appreciation of the costs to the UK economy of Intellectual Property (IP) theft and industrial espionage. Further developments of cyber crime policy, strategies and detailed plans will thus benefit from this insight." Details: London: U.K. Cabinet Office, 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2011 at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/the-cost-of-cyber-crime-full-report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/the-cost-of-cyber-crime-full-report.pdf Shelf Number: 120839 Keywords: Costs of CrimeCybercrimeExtortionIdentity TheftInternet CrimesInternet Safety |
Author: Prentky, Robert Title: A Multi-Prong Approach to Strengthening Internet Child Safety Summary: The Internet is a highly effective vehicle for engaging in a range of sexual crimes, including possession of and trafficking in child pornography, identifying, locating and grooming potential victims; sex-related entrepreneurial crime; and the dissemination of misogynistic material. It would be naïve to assume the Internet has only been used for offense-related purposes by those who have been caught and convicted of Internet-related crimes. It is reasonable to assume the “web” of actual or would-be offenders is substantially greater than the known offenders. Metaphorically, it is an “iceberg” problem, with many hands-on offenders and risk-prone individuals falling below the surface. As part of this three-year project, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to Justice Resource Institute, Boston College, Villanova University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, we attempted to address this highly complex, multifaceted problem with a “multi-pronged” approach. To begin, we created an interdisciplinary Working Group comprised of seasoned professionals covering a range of perspectives about online child sexual victimization. The Working Group initially assisted in providing us with cases to help create and refine an Internet Offender Assessment dictionary, which later led to the development of self-report questionnaires used in data collection. The Working Group convened three times over the course of three years to discuss and brainstorm pertinent issues related to online child sexual victimization. This research project used a three-prong approach: The first prong elicited information from middle school and high school students regarding their Internet knowledge and practices, incidence of risk-taking behaviors while online, and experiences of being solicited or engaging in inappropriate sexual activity via a request from a person first met online. This task was aimed at improving Internet safety programs by better understanding how some children are victimized by Internet Sex Offenders while others are not. The results from this prong will inform and, it is hoped, improve Internet safety programs for school systems We added a large, diverse sample of college students drawn from across the county. We administered a selfreport questionnaire surveying their Internet use, experiences, and knowledge, as well as their exposure to pornographic images. This group of young adults is unique in that it is the first generation to have grown up with widely and readily available access to the Internet. We looked at age-related exposure to Internet pornography and a wide range of “content” of pornography and compared student’s reports to reports by the offender groups. The second prong targeted known offenders. Informing primary prevention and secondary intervention programs requires a much better understanding of the complexity of Internet Sex Offenders, their backgrounds, their criminal offenses, and the motives of Internet Sex Offenders. The objective was to help reduce victimization by identifying risk-relevant characteristics of Internet Sex Offenders, creating more effective safety programs based on the knowledge gleaned from offenders, and adding to the existing literature by differentiating among Internet Sex Offenders in an empirically informed way. To accomplish this we included, in addition to a sample of Internet-only Sex Offenders, a group of known hands-on sex offenders with no known Internet offenses, and a third group consisting of known hands-on sexual offenders with Internet sex offenses. The third prong of this project was intended to more fully understand the role, limitations, and importance of technology. Technology is not only important to law enforcement for apprehending offenders, but also critical in reducing victimization. We assembled a dataset to explore the feasibility of identifying “cyber DNA,” unique (signature) elements revealed in communications between adults and children and/or offenders and undercover law enforcement. The intent of such computer-forensic markers is to detect distinctive patterns distinguishing one offender from another or place an offender within a subset of offenders. The concern expressed by parents/guardians about offensive photographs currently available to children online warranted additional research to examine the effectiveness of filters (commercial programs designed to prevent unwanted materials from being viewed or downloaded). Thus, one of our third-prong-related tasks was a comparison of all widely used filters. By understanding the boundaries of technological sophistication among diverse samples, we can more effectively employ different types of filters. Details: Boston: Justice Resource Institute, 2010. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2011 at: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/law-enforcement-bulletin-4.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/law-enforcement-bulletin-4.pdf Shelf Number: 120884 Keywords: Children, Crimes AgainstComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetySex Offenders |
Author: Cross, Emma-Jane Title: Virtual Violence: Protecting Children from Cyberbullying Summary: The latest figures from Beatbullying reveal that nearly one-in-three 11-16 year olds has been deliberately targeted, threatened or humiliated by an individual or group through the use of mobile phones or the internet. For a quarter of these the experience was ongoing, meaning that 1-in-13 children were persistently cyber bullied. What we mean by persistent cyberbullying is bullying that is happening day in, day out, over a period of months or sometimes years. It is continuous cyberbullying by the same person or group. As expected, children who were persistently cyber bullied experienced a longer duration of bullying. Around a third of those persistently bullied said it lasted a year or more, or else was still going on. Another fifth said it had lasted months. The consequences of cyberbullying are no less traumatic than those that follow face-to-face bullying. The media has picked up on a number of high profile cases in which children have committed suicide following relentless online hate campaigns waged on Bebo and Facebook. These are only the most extreme manifestations. Academic research is beginning to document the increased isolation, poor educational attainment and self-destructive behaviour that readily follow cyberbullying. Cyberspace has also made possible new forms of social interaction and bullying. One worrying aspect relates to ‘sexting’, in which children produce and circulate sexual content amongst themselves. A third of children have received an unwanted or nasty message and a quarter received an unwanted or “nasty” image on the subject of sex. While a small proportion of these ‘sexts’ were from an unknown source or were spam, the vast majority were identified as a peer of the young person. In certain cases, these sexts have acted as a catalyst for mass bullying and even statutory rape. Our survey of over 2,000 secondary school pupils shows that cyberbullying is of increased concern for certain ‘high risk’ groups of children. • Pupils with Special Educational Needs, (have a learning difficulty or disability) are 16% more likely to be persistently cyber bullied over a prolonged period of time. • Pupils receiving free school meals, (an agreed universal indicator of increased deprivation, limited/ing social mobility, poverty and educational under-achievement) are 13% more likely to be persistently cyber bullied over a prolonged period of time. • White non-British ethnic background all reported a higher incident of this intense form of cyberbullying. Critically, in terms of resourcing intervention and targeting behaviour change campaigns, girls experienced twice as much persistent cyberbullying as boys and some 48% of all young people admitted to having undertaken some sort of cyberbullying. In terms of the specific websites on which cyberbullying has being taking place, the MSN instant messenger service and the Bebo social networking site were the worst offenders. This was the case for both children who had been bullied and for children who had witnessed others being bullied. The video-sharing site YouTube was also identified as a common place where footage of bullying was proliferated. Details: London: Beatbullying, 2009. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: http://www2.beatbullying.org/pdfs/Virtual%20Violence%20-%20Protecting%20Children%20from%20Cyberbullying.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www2.beatbullying.org/pdfs/Virtual%20Violence%20-%20Protecting%20Children%20from%20Cyberbullying.pdf Shelf Number: 121751 Keywords: BullyingCyberbullyingInternet CrimesInternet SafetySocial Networking |
Author: Australia. Parliament. Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety Title: High-Wire Act: Cyber-Safety and the Young Summary: The online environment is an integral part of modern economic and social activities, and a vast resource of education, information, communication and entertainment. Further, the evolution of new technologies is diversifying the ways in which Australians connect with each other and the world. This report focuses on how young people can be empowered and connect to the Internet, and use new technologies with confidence, knowing that they can use them safely, ethically and with full awareness of risks and benefits. The facilitation of safer online environments requires government, industry and the broader community to work together to realise the benefits of the online environment while also protecting Australians from dangers and enabling them to use existing and emerging tools to mitigate risks. Details: Sydney: Australian Parliament, 2011. 601p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 8, 2011 at: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jscc/report.htm Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jscc/report.htm Shelf Number: 122009 Keywords: Computer CrimeCyber-StalkingCyberbullyingCybercrime (Australia)Internet CrimesInternet Safety |
Author: Wei, Weixiao Title: Online Child Sexual Abuse Content: The Development of a Comprehensive, Transferable International Internet Notice and Takedown System Summary: This report establishes the value of an international ‘notice and takedown’ system, through the examination of the legislative and regulatory approaches in eight countries. The report found that there is compelling evidence that the ‘notice and takedown’ system already used in some countries is effective in removing child sexual abuse content at source, while still allowing law enforcement authorities to capture evidence for investigations aimed at prosecuting offenders and where possible, the rescue of child victims. The report makes recommendations on how these methods could be implemented internationally. Details: Cambridge, UK: Internet Watch Foundation, 2011. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2011 at: Year: 2011 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 122886 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline Victimization |
Author: Latonero, Mark Title: Human Trafficking Online: The Role of Social Networking Sites and Online Classifieds Summary: This report presents a comprehensive examination of the role of social networking sites and online classified ads in facilitating human trafficking and delivers recommendations for developing technological innovations to monitor and combat trafficking. Human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery, is a grim reality of the 21st-century global landscape in developed as well as developing countries. While traditional channels of trafficking remain in place, online technologies give traffickers the unprecedented ability to exploit a greater number of victims and advertise their services across geographic boundaries. Yet the extent to which online technologies are used in both sex and labor trafficking is unclear, and the current approach to the question is lacking. While online classified sites such as Craigslist have already been under intense scrutiny for being used by traffickers, little research is available on the role of online classified and social networking sites in human trafficking, and the issue has yet to be fully studied. Instead of singling out these technologies as a root cause of trafficking, this report poses the following question: Can online technologies be leveraged to provide actionable, data-driven information in real time to those positioned to help victims? This study forwards the hypothesis that tools such as data mining, mapping, and advanced analytics can be used by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, law enforcement, academia, and the private sector to further the anti-trafficking goals of prevention, protection, and prosecution. Adapting these technologies and methods requires careful consideration of potential implications for civil liberties, such as privacy and freedom of expression. This report applies detailed methods to understanding the relationship between domestic human trafficking and online technologies through literature reviews, field research, and interviews. In addition, the report presents preliminary results from primary research in developing tools to assist law enforcement and anti-trafficking efforts. The report concludes with a set of recommendations and guidelines to inform future research and technological interventions in human trafficking. The use of Internet technologies in people’s daily lives has dramatically increased in recent years. In 2010, the number of Internet users worldwide exceeded an estimated 2 billion. Hundreds of millions of individuals use social networking sites, and approximately half of all online adults in America have used online classified advertising sites. In contrast to the many social benefits that Internet technologies provide, a darker narrative also has emerged. Social networks and online classified sites are being used by traffickers to market, recruit, sell, and exploit for criminal purposes. Many of these sites are explicit in nature and some are underground. Yet, evidence from legal cases demonstrates that mainstream sites such as Craigslist, Backpage, and Myspace have already been used for trafficking. Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites are susceptible to similar uses. Because human trafficking is a crime recognized by international protocols and state laws, traffickers are traditionally forced to conduct their activities underground. But this report illustrates that online transactions leave behind traces of user activity, providing a rare window into criminal behavior, techniques, and patterns. Every online communication between traffickers, “johns,” and their victims reveals potentially actionable information for anti-trafficking investigators. Until now, there has been a lack of data on the role of online technologies in human trafficking. Yury Fedotov, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, remarked: “We do not have an accurate picture of the scope and nature of [the misuse of technology] and cannot act as effectively as we should. Knowledge is essential for evidence-based policy, and we must fill the information gap.” The Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) at the University of Southern California launched an anti-trafficking initiative in response to a similar call for increased knowledge. The project began at a June 2010 meeting CCLP Director Geoffrey Cowan convened in Washington, D.C., at the urging of Alec Ross, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s senior adviser for innovation, and Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, head of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the United Nations joined leaders from the technology field, nongovernmental organizations, and academia to discuss the use of technology to address trafficking. The meeting set into motion research initiatives in the Mekong Subregion (including Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam), Haiti, and the United States. An absence of technological solutions for information sharing among antitrafficking organizations inspired further study into potential uses of technology in this field. A partnership between the USC Information Sciences Institute and CCLP developed prototype software designed to detect possible cases of online sex trafficking activity, particularly cases involving underage victims. Together, the group conducted advanced research on data mining, computational linguistics, and mapping tools to monitor trafficking on social networking and online classified sites. Feedback from the Federal Bureau of Investigation was integral to this process. This report indicates that immediate action is required to develop monitoring and prevention techniques to combat human trafficking online. The report recommends future research and proposes actions that stakeholders can undertake to address trafficking online. Comprehensive solutions to trafficking through online channels should involve proactive steps by governments to protect victims and support law enforcement in combating a new generation of tech-savvy traffickers. At the same time, this report urges private-sector technology firms to recognize the opportunity to address human trafficking on their networks and services. In addition, NGOs and academics bring needed expertise to technological interventions. This study also identifies technological innovations that can be used by actors and stakeholders involved in anti-trafficking efforts. To that end, the following principles are intended for those seeking to employ technology as a means to combat human trafficking. Details: Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2011 at: https://technologyandtrafficking.usc.edu/files/2011/09/HumanTrafficking_FINAL.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://technologyandtrafficking.usc.edu/files/2011/09/HumanTrafficking_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 123011 Keywords: Human TraffickingInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline VictimizationSex TraffickingSocial Networking |
Author: Lansdown, Gerison Title: Child Safety Online: Global Challenges and Strategies Summary: Over the past twenty years the Internet has become an integral part of our lives. We have eagerly embraced its potential for communication, entertainment and information-seeking. For many of today’s children, the Internet, mobile phones and other technologies are a constant and familiar presence. For them, the distinction between online and offline has increasingly become meaningless, and they move seamlessly between both environments. An increasing number of children can scarcely imagine life without a social networking profile; videos and photographs shared online – often in real time – and online gaming. Indeed, young people are at the vanguard of technological change Their coming-of-age in this era of exponential innovation has widened the generational divide between them and their parents, their teachers and other caregivers. This gap, while becoming less stark in industrialized countries, is wider in lower income countries where caregivers arguably have fewer opportunities to access information and communication technology. But the situation is changing rapidly There is no doubt that the Internet yields numerous opportunities and benefits for children in terms of its impact on their educational attainment and social inclusion. However, it has also exposed children to dangers that defy age, geographic location and other boundaries that are more clearly delineated in the real world. This has resulted in risks to children and young people of having abusive images of them shared on the Internet; of being groomed or lured into sexual conversations or exploitation by adult offenders; of being bullied or harassed online. Bearing this in mind, the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre has, in partnership with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the United Kingdom, collaborated with a number of actors to undertake this study. The research explored children’s online behaviour, risks and vulnerability to harm, documenting existing preventive and protective measures to combat their online abuse and exploitation. The study draws on lessons from high- and middle-income countries, viewed through the lens of the dynamic that, given the speed of innovation, other countries may soon experience. What we have learned is that a singular approach to combating these crimes is not effective. What is required is a collective effort by policymakers, law enforcement agencies, social workers, teachers, parents and the private sector to systematically protect children. We have also discovered that many children are comfortable navigating the Internet and are able to avoid risks. They may see themselves as protectors of younger children and are themselves agents for change. Children should be allowed to express their views on how to mitigate risks, and they should be listened to and empowered to safely exploit the benefits of the Internet. However, we should not overestimate their ability to protect themselves. Ultimately, the onus lies with adults to put in place a framework that ensures children equal and equitable access to the Internet, along with a safer online environment. Access to knowledge, participation, leisure and play are fundamental rights of all children, as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child In today’s real and virtual worlds, it is our collective responsibility to ensure those rights for all children. Details: Florence, Italy: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2011. 32p., technical report. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2012 at: http://www.unicef-irc.org/article/825 Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.unicef-irc.org/article/825 Shelf Number: 125276 Keywords: BullyingChild ProtectionChild Sexual ExploitationInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline CommunicationPornography |
Author: Davidson, Julia Title: Online Abuse: Literature Review and Policy Context Summary: The principal aim of this review is to examine the context of online abuse by providing an overview of the relevant policy, legislation and safety practice within the European Union, focusing on case studies within the UK, Norway, Belgium and Italy to outline different attempts to educate children and young people about Internet safety issues1. An illustrative brief comparison to legislation and policy outside the EU is also provided, particularly for the USA, Australia and New Zealand where progress has been made in this area. The purpose of the review is to provide background to a scoping exercise on the current knowledge of online grooming and EU online child safety practice. This review will then inform parallel work collecting data from stakeholders on current knowledge, practice and policy on internet grooming for the sexual abuse of children. This is the first stage of an EC Safer Internet Plus Programme project to undertake the first comprehensive study of online grooming, involving the UK, Norway, Belgium and Italy. The breadth and scope of a European wide study entailed some decisions about selection of literature for review. The first decision was to focus on the European Union as opposed to the broader European continent. However, due to the awareness of the lack of geographical boundaries that online behaviour encompasses, there was an acknowledged need to reference other research in progress, for example in Russia, that sheds more light on young people’s online safety within the EU. The timescale for the review covers a period over the last five to six years – the period in which most of the research on young people and internet use has taken place. Details: European Online Grooming Project, 2011. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2012 at: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Literature-Review.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Literature-Review.pdf Shelf Number: 125714 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Webster, Stephen Title: Final Report (European Online Grooming Project) Summary: The sexual abuse of young people via the Internet is an international problem, a crime without geographical boundaries. Solutions both to perpetrators’ use of the Internet and to the safety of young people online must be sought and will necessarily involve agencies working to protect young people at local, national and international levels. Action of the Safer Internet Plus programme invited proposals for projects that aim to enhance the knowledge of the online sexual abuse of young people, with a particular focus on online grooming. • Online grooming is defined as the process by which a person befriends a young person1 online to facilitate online sexual contact and/or a physical meeting with them, with the goal of committing sexual abuse. The European Online Grooming Project research consortium is comprised of experts from across Europe and was tasked with meeting the following research objectives: o describe the behaviour of both offenders who groom and young people who are ‘groomed’, o describe how information, communication technology (ICT) may facilitate online grooming, o identify how young people are selected and prepared by online groomers for abuse online, o contribute to the development of prevention initiatives aimed at parents and young people. Methods • The project had three separate but interlinked phases. The first was a scoping project that involved a literature review, review of police case files and interviews with key stakeholders. Phase 2 of the research involved in-depth interviews with 33 male offenders convicted of online grooming in the UK, Belgium and Norway. Online groomers’ chat-logs were sourced from Italy. Phase 3 encompassed twelve focus groups with young people in the UK, Belgium and Italy. The aim of these groups was to understand young people’s online behaviour in the context of the groomers’ accounts, and explore young people’s view of online risks and current safety initiatives. In addition, seven dissemination events were held with teachers, parents and professionals in Belgium, Italy, Norway and the UK in order to promulgate the key findings from the project. • This report brings together findings from the main stages of the European Online Grooming Project - the in-depth interviews with online groomers, focus groups with young people, and dissemination events with key stakeholder groups. The scoping report and literature review have been published and are available for download at the project web-site. Details: European Online Grooming Project, 2012. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/843993/european-online-grooming-project-final-report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/843993/european-online-grooming-project-final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 125718 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Webster, Stephen Title: Scoping Report (European Online Grooming Project) Summary: The sexual abuse of young people via the Internet is an international problem, a crime without geographical boundaries. Solutions both to perpetrators’ use of the Internet and to the safety of young people online must be sought and will necessarily involve agencies working to protect young people at local, national and international levels. The police have suggested that an increasing number of online sex offenders are grooming young people online, using online social networks and internet chat rooms. Whilst a great deal is known about sex offender behaviour and there is an increasing body of pioneering work addressing those accessing indecent child images, little is known about online groomers and the way in which they select and engage victims. • To this end, Action 3.1 of the Safer Internet Plus programme invited proposals for projects that aim to enhance the knowledge of the online sexual abuse of young people, with a particular focus on online grooming. • Following a competitive tendering exercise, the European Online Grooming Project was commissioned. The research consortium is comprised of experts from across Europe, tasked with meeting the following overarching research objectives: • describe the behaviour of both offenders who groom and young people who are ‘groomed’ and explore differences (e.g. in demographics, behaviour or profiles) within each group and how these differences may have a bearing on offence outcome, • describe how information, communication technology (ICT) is used to facilitate the process of online grooming, • further the current low knowledge base about the way in which young people are selected and prepared by online groomers for abuse online, • make a significant contribution to the development of educational awareness and preventative initiatives aimed at parents and young people. The Project has three separate but interlinked phases. The first is a scoping project, the subject of this report. The second and third phases involve interviews with convicted online groomers across Europe and dissemination to professionals, parents, carers and young people respectively. • The scoping project contained three elements, all which had the aim of maximising the potential of phase 2 and 3 of the research. As such, the scoping phase contained a review of the literature and policy context1 and a review of convicted online groomers’ police case files. The scoping phase culminated with 19 in-depth interviews with stakeholders across Europe. These professionals all had expertise in the behaviour of online groomers from either an investigative, treatment, technological or young person’s perspective. • The review of police case files and interviews with key stakeholders resulted in the development of hypothetical model of online grooming. This model, drawn on case file and stakeholder accounts will then be used as a framework to ask questions of online groomers in the next stage of the research. It is important to note that the phases of the model presented here may be subsequent to significant change following the interviews with convicted online groomers. As such, the model in this report should be viewed as a hypothetical framework for subsequent appraisal. It should not be interpreted as the definitive presentation of the process of online grooming. • The hypothetical model has nine phases that encompass: vulnerability factors; grooming style; preparation and scanning; identity assumed 1; initial contact; identity assumed 2; desensitisation; offence maintenance and intensity; and finally, outcomes. • Evidence from stakeholder accounts suggests that some offenders may be engaging with 30 to 50 young people at different stages of the grooming process at any one time, and that offenders tend to refine their activities on the basis of what had ‘worked well’ in previous encounters with young people. Consequently, movement through different stages of the model of online grooming is neither unitary or linear, but rather, cyclical, involving a pattern of adoption, maintenance, relapse, and readoption over time. • It was also evident that the actual process of online grooming may take minutes, hours, days or months. As such, online groomers remain at different phases of the model for various lengths of time according to a dynamic inter-relationship between their goals and needs and the style or reactions of the young person. • In order to explain as well as describe online grooming, this report suggests that online grooming may be set within the context of three existing theories within forensic and social psychology. The first is Ward and Hudson’s (1998) self-regulation model of the sexual offence process. The central premise of Ward and Hudson’s theory is that different self-regulation styles, the internal and external processes that allow an individual to engage in goal-related behaviour, underpin the sexual offence process. The second is Suler’s (2004) theory of the online disinhibiton effect. This framework contains three dimensions that may also help develop understanding of online groomers’ behaviour: dissociative anonymity; invisibility and dissociative imaginationimagination. Finally, the theory of deindividuation (Zimbardo, 1969) proposes that factors such as anonymity, loss of individual responsibility, arousal and sensory overload contribute to a state of deindividuation and behavioral disinhibition where established norms of conduct may be violated. • It is important for all research to have an applied focus but even more so for this project, where the need for robust evidence is acute and the public safety message is clear. As such, stakeholders identified four core needs for the European Online Grooming Report. To provide strategies to aid detection and interviewing; further understanding regarding assessment and treatment needs; to raise awareness across the key groups outlined above; and finally, to avoid demonising the Internet per se. Details: European Online Grooming Project, 2010. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Project-scoping-report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europeanonlinegroomingproject.com/wp-content/file-uploads/EOGP-Project-scoping-report.pdf Shelf Number: 125742 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Quayle, Ethel Title: Online Behaviour Related to Child Sexual Abuse: Interviews with affected Young People Summary: Most young people in Europe have access to the Internet. In a study by Livingstone et al. (2011), including 25 142 children between 9-16 years old in 25 countries in the European Union (EU), the average age for first time contact with the Internet was 9 years old. In this study 60% reported that they used the Internet on a daily basis and 33% that they used the Internet once or twice a week. Access to the Internet is not only increasing, but today many youth have their own mobile phones with internet access. In the study by Livingstone et al. (2011) 35% of the youth used their own PC, 24% their own laptop and 12% a handheld device (e.g. iPod Touch, I-phone and Blackberry) when going online. The most common activities online were doing schoolwork (85%) followed by online gaming (83%) and watching video clips (76%). Most young people are alone when using their mobile phone and the Internet (Medierådet, 2010). This differs from other media forms, e.g. watching television and playing games on the computer, that more often are done together with a friend or an adult. This means that young people most of the time are alone when surfing the net, without adults being able to supervise or to hinder the youth from possible risk taking online. Most young people seem though to be well aware of the fact that there are safe and risky behaviours connected with the use of Internet (Jonsson et al, 2009). When a child reaches adolescence it is developmentally normal to expand their social network, forming close relationships and experiencing sexuality. The Internet is accessible, anonymous and affordable (Cooper, 1998) which makes it natural to use it for sexual purposes. In a study by Daneback and Månsson (2009) nine out of ten Swedish young people, between 18-25 years old, used the Internet for romantic or sexual purposes. The most common online sexual activity was watching pornography among the boys and searching for information about sex among the girls. Many studies have shown that pornography use is greater for young males (Caroll et al, 2008; Luder et al., 2011; Svedin et al, 2011) but recent studies show that the gender differences are most apparent with older adolescents and that there are less differences between genders who are 12 years old and younger (Livingstone et al., 2011). However young people are not only passive consumers of sexual material. They also produce and distribute their own sexual material and find sexual contacts online. Online risk taking behaviour Offline risk taking behaviour such as use of drugs, smoking, not attending school and having unprotected sex are more common among adolescents than others (e.g. Benthin et al., 1993; Boyer, 2006; Steinberg, 2008). Studies indicate that young people who take risks offline also do so online (Mitchell et al, 2007a). However, different studies use varying definitions as to what online risk taking behaviour is. Baumgartner et al. (2010) limited their definition to include communication with unknown people and categorized the following behaviours as risky: - Searching online for someone to talk about sex - Searching online for someone to have sex - Sending intimate photos or videos to someone online - Disclosing personal information like telephone numbers and addresses to someone online. Most risk behaviour does not lead to any negative consequences and is more likely to be associated with positive outcomes, while other risk behaviours can result in abuse, be lifealtering or may, in extreme cases, even be a threat to life. Online risk taking behaviour has been shown to increase the likelihood of negative experiences, such as unwanted aggressive sexual solicitations online (Cooper et al., 2002; Mitchell et al., 2007b). Misuse of personal information by others is another negative consequence. Even if young people are well informed about the negative effects of, for example, taking drugs or having unprotected sex, some still go ahead. Likewise research studies, and results from clinical projects about online sexual abuse, have shown that young people often are well aware of the risks online but take them anyway (e.g. Jonsson et al., 2009; Wolak, 2007). This research addresses some of the major challenges in constructing preventative work to hinder young people from risk taking behaviours (see, for example, Denehy, 2000). There might be many explanations as to why young people take risks online. In the study by Baumgartner et al. (2010) young people’s engagement in online risky sexual behaviour was investigated in a cross-sectional study. The young people who took sexual risks online perceived that more friends were engaged in these behaviours, perceived fewer risks and more benefits from the risky sexual behaviour and felt personally less vulnerable to negative consequences than other young people. Probably most youth who take risks online estimate the risks to be less than the positive effects that might follow. Studies from clinical projects and research have shown that one primary function of online risk taking behaviour is to be seen and to receive affirmation (Jonsson et al., 2009; Jonsson & Svedin, 2012; Nigård, 2009). Details: Child Centre (The Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk; ROBERT Project, EU Safer Internet Programme, 2012. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Interview_analysis_PRELIMINARY.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Interview_analysis_PRELIMINARY.pdf Shelf Number: 125743 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual AbusePornographySocial Networking |
Author: Kolpakova, Olga, ed. Title: Online Behaviour Related to Child Sexual Abuse: Focus Groups' Findings Summary: Over the last two decades more than 200 studies have been made that focus on various aspects of child online sexual violence. The majority of the surveys highlighted the way children use Internet. According to one of the largest scale surveys – EU Kids Online survey – produced in 2010, 60% of European children aged 9 to 16 years old use the Internet on a daily basis, spending on average 88 minutes online. They do their homework, play games alone or against the computer, watch video clips online, use Internet interactively for communication (social networking, instant messaging etc.) and read/watch the news, play with others online, download films and music, share content peer-to-peer (eg, via webcam or message boards), visit chat rooms, share files, blog and spend time in a virtual world (Livingstone et al 2011). Internet accessibility, frequency and duration of use, and types of children's online activities have been the focus of studies in a number of other national surveys (Leicht & Sorensen 2011, Children… 2006, Medienpädagogischer… 2010a,b, Mainardi and Zgraggen 2010, Soldatova et al 2010, Levina et al 2011, Medierådet 2005, 2008, 2010). The more active our children are online, the greater the risks associated with Internet use. According to a number of studies, a significant number of children and young people practice behaviour which could potentially lead to negative repercussions, such as; seeking new friends online (Levina et al 2011), having contact online with someone they have never met face to face (Livingstone et al 2011), having people on “buddy lists” known only online (Ybarra et al 2007, Levina et al 2011), sending personal information to people they have never met face to face (Livingstone et al 2011, Levina et al 2011), posting personal information (Ybarra et al 2007) and sexualized images (Svedin & Priebe 2009, Daneback & Månsson 2009), posing nude (De Graaf & Vanweseenbeeck 2006) or masturbating (Svedin & Priebe 2009) in front of a web cam, sending personal information (Ybarra et al 2007, Levina et al 2011), sending or receiving sexual images (Lenhart 2009), accessing pornography (Svedin et al 2011, Wolak et al 2007, Sørensen & Kjørholt 2007, Sabina et al 2008), talking about sex online (Medieradet… 2010, Livingstone et al 2011, Ybarra et al 2007) and meeting people face to face offline who they initially made contact with on the Internet (ACPI/PROTEGELES 2002, Helweg-Larsen et al 2009, Livingstone et al 2011, Mainardi & Zgraggen 2010, Monteiro & Gomes 2009, Wojtasik 2004). In some cases such behaviour could be regarded as a form of adolescent age-appropriate social and sexual expression and curiosity, and may not always lead to negative repercussions. In other cases, however, children and adolescents have narrowly avoided danger in potentially threatening situations. Therefore, not all those interacting online with unknown people, sometimes discussing sex, have been exposed to unwanted sexual solicitations or other negative repercussions (Wolak et al 2008). Of those who reported having seen pornography online accidentally or purposefully, two of three were unaffected by the experience (Livingstone et al 2011). However, some children and young people do experience negative consequences from such behaviour. Children may feel cheated, disgusted or uncomfortable by what they have seen on pornographic websites (Livingstone et al 2011), young people may be highly distressed after incidents of solicitation (Mitchell et al 2001), in some cases children and adolescents could be pressured or threatened into having sex during offline meetings with their online acquaintances (Suseg et al 2008, Helweg-Larsen et al 2009, Levina et al 2011). Studies have shown that the Internet (Levina et al 2010), and in particular chat rooms (Briggs et al 2010, Wagner 2008) and social networking sites (Wise et al 2010), could be used by offenders who are interested either in engaging in cyber sex without any direct wish to meet in real life or in meeting offline for sex. In a number of studies individual risk factors that led to sexual abuse, were identified. Studies show that girls (Baumgartner et al 2010, Ellonen et al 2008, Mainardi and Zgraggen 2010, Mitchell et al 2007a, Wolak et al 2008), adolescents (Baumgartner et al 2010, Ellonen et al 2008, Livingstone et al 2011, Wolak et al 2004), youngsters with lower education (De Graaf and Vanwesenbeeck 2006), teenagers who identify themselves as homosexual or those with unclear sexual orientation (Wolak et al 2004) are at a higher risk of experiencing Internetrelated sexual abuse. Personal behavioural factors such as frequent Internet use (De Graaf & Vanwesenbeeck 2006, Mitchell et al 2001, Stahl and Fritz 2002, Wolak et al 2008, Ybarra et al 2004), online risk-taking behaviour (ACPI/PROTEGELES 2002, Mitchell et al 2001, Mitchell et al 2008, Stahl and Fritz 2002), and substance use (Ybarra et al 2004) may also increase the chance of a young person becoming a victim of Internet-related sexual abuse. Another group of individual risk factors is related to personal traumatic experiences and emotional situations. According to the research data, youth (especially girls) with a history of offline sexual or physical abuse (De Graaf & Vanwesenbeeck 2006, Mitchell et al 2007b, Wolak et al 2008) and youth suffering from depression (such as sadness, emptiness or concentration problems) (Ybarra et al 2004) are at greater risk of online sexual solicitation. Even though a number of researches (Kvam 2001, Sullivan & Knutson 2000, SISO & SUS 2007) have shown that children with disabilities are more often exposed to sexual abuse, it is still not clear if these children are at greater risk of online sexual violence. A group of environmental risk factors includes: single-parents or reconstituted families (e.g. Gallagher 2007), homelessness or runaways (e.g. Regional… 2008), higher household socio-economic status (Livingstone et al 2011, Mitchell et al 2003), the lack of close parental relationships (ICAA 2004, Sørensen 2007), as well as lower levels of parental control (De Graaf & Vanwesenbeeck 2006, Mitchell et al 2003). In a few studies, resilience in relation to young people’s online behaviour was specifically focused upon. It was found that young people could use a number of strategies to reduce the risks of negative repercussions when meeting online friends in real life. These included informing their parents (e.g. Livingstone et al 2011) or friends (Bauermeister et al 2010) about the meeting, arranging meetings in public places and trying to get to know an online friend better before meeting them offline (Bauermeister et al 2010). When negatively affected by online contact (sexual messages, bullying, sexual images), children could use the following strategies: hope that the problem would go away by itself, report the problem, change their filter/contact settings, delete any messages from the person or block the person, try to fix the problem, talk to someone about the problem or stop using the Internet temporarily (Livingstone at al 2011). In addition to the growing impact the role of the Internet is having on children’s lives, researchers are specifically discussing the problem of merged online/offline environments (e.g. Lansdown 2011, Levina et al 2011). The online environment provides young people with more opportunities for accessing information, self-expression, self-promotion, social role experimentation and communication. It has becoming an integral part of their life where the boundary between online and offline experiences is vanishing. At the same time, offline safety rules and behaviour patterns are not always applicable to the online environment, and children’s online activities are to a lesser extent controlled by parents. It may seems obvious that there is a need for online behaviour education; we have to teach our children safe and correct use of information and communication technologies and improve parent’s ability to effectively control the online activities of their children1. However, there are still some aspects of child online sexual violence that have not been studied sufficiently. In particular, we do not clearly understand the child’s role in establishing and developing online relations with people who may potentially harm them in the future. Do children take the initiative themselves? Do they actively seek new friends and contacts online? What is their response to unwanted approaches? How do young people identify individuals that pose a risk of online sexual violence? Do they think that they are at risk themselves? Which strategies do young people usually use to stay safe online? Do young people perceive their world as undivided or do borders between the online and offline world still exist? Are there any groups of young people who are at greater risk of online sexual violence then others (such as GLBT, young people with disabilities, young people in residential care etc.)? And if so are there any differences between these groups in how they establish agency in a virtual world, negotiate online relationships, identify risks, stay safe online and distinguish between the online and physical world? The project ROBERT, Risktaking Online Behaviour Empowerment through Research and Training, is one attempt to answer some of the above questions. This project intends to make online interaction safe for children and young people. This project is implemented from June 2010 to June 2012, and is funded by the European Commission Safer Internet Programme as a Knowledge Enhancement Project. It is managed and coordinated by the CBSS Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at risk, EGCC, in partnership with the University of Tartu (Estonia), Linköping University (Sweden), University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), Save the Children Denmark, Save the Children Italia, Innocence in Danger (Germany), Stellit International (the Netherlands and Russia) and Kingston University (UK). As a part of the project, focus groups with young people, some of whom may be considered to be more at risk of online abuse (young people in residential care, young people that are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and young people with some form of disability), as well as with young people from the general population were interviewed in 2011–2012 in Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, Germany and Russia. The aim of the focus group interviews was to obtain qualitative information about adolescent’s online behaviour, their need to socialize, communicate and discover themselves and the world and particularly those behaviours that lead to risktaking and their possible links with sexual victimization, while examining the strategies they use to avoid victimization itself. The issues that were discussed with children and explored with focus groups could be summarized in three main thematic areas: 1) characteristics of Internet use; 2) characteristics of online communication and its impact on the life of young people; 3) staying safe online. The results obtained from the focus groups are presented in the report. The chapter “Methodological issues” includes a glossary and a brief overview of focus groups and framework analysis. Particular attention is paid to the issue of ensuring quality in qualitative research. Issues such as sampling, procedures and data analysis are described. In the chapter “Research results” five main themes which were identified across the focus groups are examined: Establishing agency in a virtual world; Negotiating online relationships; Distinguishing between in-groups and out-groups; Safety online; Delineating between merged realities. Details: Child Centre (The Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk; ROBERT Project, EU Safer Internet Programme, 2012. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed july 23, 2012 at: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/ROBERT_Focus_grups_report_wr.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/ROBERT_Focus_grups_report_wr.pdf Shelf Number: 125744 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual AbusePornographySocial Networking |
Author: Ainsaar, Mare Title: Online Behaviour Related to Child Sexual Abuse: Literature Report Summary: Young people today grow up in a technology-mediated world with almost unlimited access to games, music and film, not to mention the enormous array of contacts with other youth all over the world facilitated by the Internet. This opens tremendous possibilities that were unimaginable only half a generation ago. While such availability would uniformly be seen as positive, there are increasingly concerns about the problems access to technology might bring for young people. While the overwhelming majority of children and young people navigate safely through the Information and Communication Technologies, some children fall victim to abuse and to violence. While there is concern across different countries about online solicitation and grooming, there have been very few analyses to date that have explored how these contacts occur and what maintains these online relationships in the face of highly sexualised content. The ROBERT project intends to make online interaction safe for children and young people. This will be achieved by learning from experiences of online abuse processes and the factors that make young people vulnerable as well as those that offer protection. As part of the ROBERT project a systematic review of studies, with a specific focus on sexually abusive online experiences and offline sexual abuse that have started with an online contact or where the contacts between the perpetrator and the young person have relied heavily on information and communication technologies has been made. This report will cover also some issues of specific interest as we discuss young people who are at risk of sexual abuse in connection with information and communication technologies and seek answers questions as follows: I What patterns can be observed from the review on a European level that relate to areas of concern across different countries? II How do different data collection methods impact on the type and the quality of the data obtained? (For example, telephone interviews, paper based surveys responded to in class-room settings, online questionnaires etc). III When compared with other research on difficult and sensitive issues involving young persons, what is indicated in relation to disclosure and how does this compare with official statistics? IV Which behavioural patterns and risks seem to differentiate between specific groups of young people? (e.g. in relation to gender or sexual orientation). V Are there any reports that explore the perception of the young person with regard to the expression of their sexuality online and their interpretation of abusive practices? VI What studies have examined specific behavioural patterns that can be seen as leading from online contact to abusive experiences? VII How can we understand resilience in relation to young people’s online behaviour? VIII Do the reports indicate new emerging research needs as yet uncovered? IX What are the individual risk factors, or risks related to the environment, leading to sexually abusive experiences? X How have the complex ethical issues in involving children been negotiated across studies? Relevant publications were added to a publications database, set up as a part of the project. The emphasis of the work was on collecting information on publications related to online sexual abuse issues from 20 EU countries and Russia, but also publications from other parts of the world have been included if information was available to the project partners. The current report is the first analysis of literature collected by the ROBERT project in the database. The report consists of four major topics: 1. Methodological issues including regional and methodological coverage of online child sexual violence literature 2. Research evidence in to behavioural patterns which lead to becoming a victim of sexual abuse including risk factors of becoming a victim of sexual abuse 3. Behavioural patterns which lead to becoming a sexual abuser and sexually abusive behaviours including risk factors which lead to becoming a sexual abuser and sexually abusive behaviours 4. Specific behavioural patterns and risks of becoming a victim of abuse in relation to particular groups The database on Internet related child sexual abuse literature is available for public use on the Child Centre webpage www.childcentre.info/ROBERT. Details: Child Centre (The Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk; ROBERT Project, EU Safer Internet Programme, 2012. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 24, 2012 at: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Online_behaviour_related_to_sexual_abuse.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.childcentre.info/robert/public/Online_behaviour_related_to_sexual_abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 125757 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Dooley, Julian J. Title: Review of Existing Australian and International Cyber-Safety Research Summary: This report provides a detailed overview of Australian and international research literature on cyber-safety risks. In general, there are several risks associated with using technology and exposure to these risks, when not properly addressed, is associated with negative consequences. However, the literature (scientific and non-scientific) suggests that some of the most troublesome online risks are strongly associated with offline risks and that these two worlds do not exist independently. Thus, in order to address online risks, it is crucial that offline behaviours also be considered. Finally, the research indicates that as young people increase their use of information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, they increase their risk of being exposed to negative online experiences. Details: Perth, Australia: Child Health Promotion Research Centre, Edith Cowan University, 2009. 276p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2012 at http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/119416/ECU_Review_of_existing_Australian_and_international_cyber-safety_research.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/119416/ECU_Review_of_existing_Australian_and_international_cyber-safety_research.pdf Shelf Number: 126688 Keywords: Computer CrimeInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyJuvenile VictimsOnline GroomingOnline Sexual AbuseSocial Networking |
Author: Livingstone, Sonia Title: In Their Own Words: What Bothers Children Online? with the EU Kids Online Network Summary: Nearly 10,000 children told us about what upsets them and their friends online. Their responses were diverse, revealing a long list of concerns. Pornography (named by 22% of children who told us of risks) and violent content (18%) top children’s online concerns. Overall, boys appear more bothered by violence than girls, while girls are more concerned with contact-related risks. Violence receives less public attention than sexual material, but many children are concerned about violent, aggressive or gory online content. They reveal shock and disgust on seeing cruelty, killings, abuse of animals and even the news – since much is real rather than fictional violence, this adds to the depth of children’s reactions. As children told us, video-sharing websites are often associated with violent and pornographic content, along with a range of other contentrelated risks. Among the children who linked risks to specific internet platforms, 32% mentioned video-sharing sites such as YouTube, followed by websites (29%), social networking sites (13%) and games (10%). Children’s mention of risks rises markedly from nine to 12 years old. Younger children are more concerned about content and other risks. As they get older they become more concerned about conduct and contact risks. These are linked in many children’s minds to the use of social networking sites such as Facebook. Concern about risks is higher among children from ‘high use, high risk’ countries. Policy implications are identified and discussed. Details: London: London School of Economics, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2013 at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Intheirownwords020213.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Intheirownwords020213.pdf Shelf Number: 128122 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetyMedia ViolenceOnline SafetyOnline VideosPornography |
Author: Green, Lelia Title: Risks and Safety for Australian Children on the Internet: Full findings from the AU Kids Online survey of 9-16 year olds and their parents Summary: This report presents initial findings from an Australian survey of children and their parents designed to provide a unique insight into the balance of opportunities and risks experienced by these children as a result of their internet use. A random stratified sample of 400 9-16 year olds who use the internet, and one of their parents/carers, was interviewed between November 2010 and February 2011. The ‘AU’ survey was conducted in parallel with a 25 nation survey carried out by EU Kids Online (see Annex 1) and funded by the EC’s Safer Internet Programme. The questionnaire was designed by the EU Kids Online network, coordinated by the London School of Economics and Political Science. Ipsos MORI and its international affiliates conducted the research in all 26 countries. In what follows, AU findings are compared with those from 25 other countries, all of which are European nations, although not all of which are members of the European Union. The results of this overarching European-level research in 25 nations, with 25,142 families each represented by a child aged 9-16, and the parent who knows most about the child’s internet use, are reported in Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A., and Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: The perspective of European children. Full findings. LSE, London: EU Kids Online. See www.eukidsonline.net. Where reference is made in this report to EU Kids Online, or to ‘in Europe’, this entails reference to the findings based on the 25,142 children involved in the EU Kids Online research, not to European children as a whole, nor to the children of the European Union. The 25 nations involved in the EU Kids Online research are Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG), Cyprus (CY), Czech Republic (CZ), Denmark (DK), Estonia (EE), Finland (FI), France (FR), Germany (DE), Greece (EL), Hungary (HU), Italy (IT), Ireland (IE), Lithuania (LT), Netherlands (NL), Norway (NO), Poland (PO), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), Slovenia (SI), Spain (ES), Sweden (SE), Turkey (TU), and the United Kingdom (UK). Details: Kelvin Grove QLD, Australia: ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, 2011. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2013 at: http://cultural-science.org/journal/index.php/culturalscience/article/viewFile/49/129 Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://cultural-science.org/journal/index.php/culturalscience/article/viewFile/49/129 Shelf Number: 128170 Keywords: Computer SafetyCyberbullyingCybercrimeInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline Safety (Australia)Online Victimization |
Author: Koeppel, Maria Title: Dating Safety and Victimization in Traditional and Online Relationships Summary: The technological landscape of society is changing at an extremely rapid pace (Sautter et al., 2010), with an estimated 80% of Americans having access to the internet either at home or at work in October 2010 (Strickling & Gomez, 2011). The availability and use of online dating websites has also grown exponentially during that period of time (Finkel et al., 2012), and societal perceptions of online dating have changed dramatically. During the 1990s, online dating was seen as an extremely deceptive and ineffective enterprise (Madden & Lenhart, 2006). Since then, however, online dating has become much more mainstream. While online dating has become relatively common, a large portion of Americans do not believe that the practice itself is safe (Madden & Lenhart, 2006). Using an online dating site, like any other form of social networking, requires users to put personal information about themselves on the internet. Beyond traditional concerns regarding the protection of internet users’ personal information, the safety of dating websites is additionally in question due to the relative ease with which users are able to deceive potential partners (Madden & Lenhart, 2006; Toma et al., 2008). The pervasiveness of deception in online dating has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, spawning both movies and an entire television series (“Catish” on MTV) dedicated to deciphering whether online partners are representing themselves accurately. There is currently an emerging body of empirical literature regarding online dating; however most of this research overlooks differences in victimization evident between this type of social interaction and its traditional counterpart (Jerin & Dolinsky, 2001). This report presents results of a study designed to investigate questions of safety and victimization experiences related to online dating versus more traditional forms of dating. Details: Huntsville, TX: Crime Victims' Institute, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, 2013. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2013 at: http://dev.cjcenter.org/_files/cvi/DatingSafety.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://dev.cjcenter.org/_files/cvi/DatingSafety.pdf Shelf Number: 128279 Keywords: Dating ViolenceInternet SafetyOnline DatingOnline Victimization |
Author: Jones, Lisa M. Title: Evaluation of Internet Child Safety Materials Used by ICAC Task Forces in School and Community Settings, Final Report Summary: Research Goals and Objectives: This project involves content and process evaluations of current internet safety education (ISE) program materials and their use by law enforcement presenters and schools. Despite a proliferation of internet safety programs over the last decade, there is little information that can guide law enforcement, policy makers or the public in determining which materials or delivery methods are most likely to increase children’s online safety. The design of the proposed content and process evaluation is based on the perspective that, despite widespread dissemination, internet safety education is still in a formative stage. It is not clear that ISE messages have been formulated around a careful analysis of the risk and the ways that youth experience problems online, or that they have applied research-based prevention strategies. While outcome evaluation will be critical to determining the effectiveness of internet safety programs in the future, it is important to identify problems in ISE delivery and create guidelines for developing more promising programs. Research Design and Methodology: The study was divided into four subprojects. First, a systematic review or “meta-synthesis” was conducted to identify effective elements of prevention identified by the research across different youth problem areas such as drug abuse, sex education, smoking prevention, suicide, youth violence, and school failure. The process resulted in the development of a KEEP (Known Elements of Effective Prevention) Checklist. Second, a content analysis was conducted on four of the most well-developed and long-standing youth internet safety curricula: i-SAFE, iKeepSafe, Netsmartz, and Web Wise Kids. Third, we conducted a process evaluation to better understand how internet safety education programs are being implemented. The process evaluation was conducted via national surveys with three different groups of respondents: Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force commanders (N=43), ICAC Task Force presenters (N=91), and a sample of school professionals (N=139). Finally, we developed an internet safety education outcome survey focused on online harassment and digital citizenship. The intention for creating and piloting this survey was to provide the field with a research-based tool that can be used in future evaluation and program monitoring efforts. This tool, along with other research and evaluation information on internet safety will be placed in an Internet Safety Education Resource Center on the ICAC Task Force website. Research Results and Conclusions: The internet safety education (ISE) content and process evaluation results indicated that the educational approach and messages of current ISE fail to incorporate critical elements of effective prevention education, including: 1) research-based messages; 2) skill-based learning objectives; 3) opportunities for youth to practice new skills; and 4) sufficient time for learning. Our analyses indicate that the ISE field has been slow to include research-based information on internet predators and online harassment and there is no research to support the assumption that many of the popular educational slogans messages around privacy and digital reputation concerns (e.g., “Think Before You Click”) will lead to improved youth online behavior. The failure to define research-supported program logic means that most ISE is a highly speculative and experimental undertaking, whose success cannot be assumed. Recommendations are made for re-conceptualizing ISE and developing a more effective approach to helping protect youth. Details: Durham, NH: Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC), University of New Hampshire, 2012. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242016.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242016.pdf Shelf Number: 128899 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetySex Offenders |
Author: Mitchell, Kimberly J. Title: Trends in Unwanted Online Experiences and Sexting: Final Report Summary: This bulletin summarizes findings from the Third Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS]3). Topics include youth reports of unwanted sexual solicitations, online harassment, unwanted exposure to sexual material, and "sexting." Details: Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, 2014. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2014 at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Full%20Trends%20Report%20Feb%202014%20with%20tables.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Full%20Trends%20Report%20Feb%202014%20with%20tables.pdf Shelf Number: 147747 Keywords: Internet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline CommunicationsPornographySex CrimesSextingSexual Harassment |
Author: Bachan, Keshet Title: Girls in Cyberspace: Dangers and Opportunities. Summary: "Girls in Cyberspace: Dangers and Opportunities" examines both the challenges and empowering possibilities facing girls when accessing ICTs (Information Communication Technologies). In many ways, technology has facilitated girls' ability to do what they were already doing: connecting, learning and sharing. ICTs have also increased their opportunities to do these things and to interact beyond their immediate communities. Although adolescent girls are not a homogenous group, and the way they choose to interact with ICTs may vary according to their location, social-economic status, capacity for mobility and personal inclination, there are some common threads emerging from Plan's analysis. Based on original research undertaken in Brazil by Plan for the 2010 "Because I am a Girl" report (together with the Child Protection Partnership), this paper will outline the opportunities ICTs provide adolescent girls and analyze the potential dangers and exploitative behaviours that are facilitated through them. Details: Warwick, RI: Plan-International, 2010. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2014 at: http://www.planusa.org/becauseiamagirl/docs/girlsincyberspace.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.planusa.org/becauseiamagirl/docs/girlsincyberspace.pdf Shelf Number: 133787 Keywords: Child ProtectionInformation TechnologiesInternet Crimes (Brazil)Internet SafetySexual Exploitation |
Author: Livingstone, Sonia Title: Towards a better internet for children Summary: This report presents new findings and further analysis of the EU Kids Online 25 country survey. It also brings together our previously published findings relevant to European Commission Vice President Kroes' CEO Coalition recent initiative to make the internet a better place for children. New results show that, of nine different kinds of parental worries about their child, online risks - being contacted by strangers (33% parents) or seeing inappropriate content (32% parents) - rank 5th and 6th. Will the Coalition's principles help manage online risk of harm, and so address parental concerns? Our evidence supports recommendations about initiatives that industry can take under four of the five headings considered by the CEO Coalition. Details: London: EU Kids Online, London School of Economics, 2012. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2015 at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/EUKidsOnlinereportfortheCEOCoalition.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/EUKidsOnlinereportfortheCEOCoalition.pdf Shelf Number: 135454 Keywords: Computer CrimesComputer SafetyInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline Victimization |
Author: European Commission. Directorate-General for Home Affairs Title: Cyber Security Summary: This report brings together the results of the Special Eurobarometer public opinion survey on "Cyber security" in the 28 European Union countries. Cybercrime is a borderless problem, consisting of criminal acts that are committed online by using electronic communications networks and information systems, including crimes specific to the Internet, online fraud and forgery, and illegal online content. Whilst the value of the cybercriminal economy as a whole is not precisely known, the losses are thought to represent billions of euros per year. The scale of the problem is itself a threat to law enforcement response capability - with more than 150,000 viruses and other types of malicious code in circulation and a million people victims of cybercrime every day. Given the development of cybercrime in recent years, the European Commission has designed a coordinated policy in close co-operation with European Union (EU) Member States and the other EU institutions. EU legislative actions contributing to the fight against cybercrime address issues such as attacks against information systems, online offensive material and child pornography, online privacy, and online fraud and counterfeiting. The aim of this survey is to understand EU citizens' experiences and perceptions of cyber security issues. The survey examines the nature and frequency of Internet usage; their awareness and experience of cybercrime; and the level of concern that they feel about this type of crime. The findings from this survey update a previous survey which was carried out in May-June 2013 (Special Eurobarometer 404). The 2014 survey repeats most of the questions asked in 2013 in order to provide insight into the evolution of knowledge, behaviour and attitudes towards cyber security in the European Union. Details: Luxembourg: European Commission, 2015. 171p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Eurobarometer 423: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_423_en.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_423_en.pdf Shelf Number: 137810 Keywords: Computer CrimeCyber SecurityCybercrimeInternet CrimeInternet SafetyOnline Victimization |
Author: Mitchell, Kimberly J. Title: Youth Involvement in Sexting: Findings from the Youth Internet Safety Studies Summary: Several concerns have fueled the considerable attention to the problem of "youth sexting" among the media, parents, professionals, educators and law enforcement. (Sexting generally refers to sending sexual images and sometimes sexual texts via cell phone and other electronic devices.) One is that youth may be creating illegal child pornography, exposing them to possibly serious legal sanctions. Another is that youth may be jeopardizing futures by putting compromising, ineradicable images online that could be available to potential employers, academic institutions and family members. These concerns have been abetted by frequently cited statistics about the supposed widespread teen involvement in sexting. The most common reference has been to a National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy study showing that 20% of teens had sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves. However, this research as well as other often cited studies have flaws that compromise their findings. For example, the National Campaign study, used an Internet panel rather than a true population sample and included 18 and 19 year olds, and not just minors. Moreover, none of these studies has made distinctions that allow a careful assessment of the problem from a policy perspective. Studies have asked respondents about "nude or semi-nude", "nearly nude" or "sexually suggestive" images that might, in fact, be no more revealing than what someone might see at a beach. In some studies, sexting was defined to include text messages that could contain no images. And many studies did not distinguish between taking and sending an image of oneself as opposed to receiving or disseminating an image of another youth. For policy purposes, it is important to look at whether images are created or simply received and whether images might qualify as child pornography, but such information is not currently available. Details: Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Crimes Against Children Research Center, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexting%204%20of%204%20YISS%20Bulletins%20Feb%202014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexting%204%20of%204%20YISS%20Bulletins%20Feb%202014.pdf Shelf Number: 138184 Keywords: Child PornographyInternet CommunicationsInternet SafetySextingSocial Networks |
Author: Mitchell, Kimberly J. Title: Trends in Unwanted Sexual Solicitations: Findings from the Youth Internet Safety Studies Summary: There has been considerable and growing concern voiced by schools, parents and the public about what youth experience while using the Internet and other electronic technologies. The last decade saw significant and rapid changes in youth online activity: Internet use has now expanded to encompass almost all youth. Moreover, the nature of youth Internet use changed during this time with an increase in the use of cell‐ and smart‐phones, and the migration of adolescent social activity to social networking sites. However, this rapid expansion in technology use has occurred during a period of time in which child victimization has declined significantly. In 1999 and 2000, the first Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS‐1) was conducted to address concerns about adults using the Internet to sexually solicit youth, young people encountering sexual material online and youth being threatened and harassed through the Internet. While YISS‐1 found that many youth who used the Internet encountered such episodes, most of these incidents were relatively mild and not very disturbing to youth. However, some were serious and distressing. We conducted the second Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS‐2) in 2005 to reassess the extent to which young Internet users were encountering problems five years later, gauge whether the incidence and characteristics of these episodes had changed, explore new areas of interest, review emerging technologies, ascertain the effect those technologies have on the issue, and assess threats to youth. Compared to YISS‐1, the results of YISS‐2 showed that a smaller proportion of youth had received unwanted online sexual solicitations and a smaller proportion had interacted online with strangers. However, larger proportions of youth reported being exposed to pornography they did not want to see and were being harassed online. In 2010, the third Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS‐3) was conducted to continue to track existing trends in the number and types of threats youth encounter using technology; assess risks of new behaviors and activities, including youth creating and distributing explicit images of themselves and/or peers; assess benefits and utilization of safety programs and technologies; and identify activities and behaviors most closely associated with risk. This document reviews key findings from YISS‐3. Details: Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Crimes Against Children Research Center, 2014. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexual%20Solicitation%201%20of%204%20YISS%20Bulletins%20Feb%202014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexual%20Solicitation%201%20of%204%20YISS%20Bulletins%20Feb%202014.pdf Shelf Number: 138185 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual ExploitationInternet CommunicationsInternet Safety Online CommunicationsSexting Social MediaSocial Networks |
Author: Mitchell, Kimberly J. Title: Trends in Unwanted Exposure to Sexual Material: Findings from the Youth Internet Safety Studies Summary: There has been considerable and growing concern voiced by schools, parents and the public about what youth experience while using the Internet and other electronic technologies. The last decade saw significant and rapid changes in youth online activity: Internet use has now expanded to encompass almost all youth. Moreover, the nature of youth Internet use changed during this time with an increase in the use of cell‐ and smart‐phones, and the migration of adolescent social activity to social networking sites. However, this rapid expansion in technology use has occurred during a period of time in which child victimization has declined significantly. In 1999 and 2000, the first Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS‐1) was conducted to address concerns about adults using the Internet to sexually solicit youth, young people encountering sexual material online and youth being threatened and harassed through the Internet. While YISS‐1 found that many youth who used the Internet encountered such episodes, most of these incidents were relatively mild and not very disturbing to youth. However, some were serious and distressing. We conducted the second Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS‐2) in 2005 to reassess the extent to which young Internet users were encountering problems five years later, gauge whether the incidence and characteristics of these episodes had changed, explore new areas of interest, review emerging technologies, ascertain the effect those technologies have on the issue, and assess threats to youth. Compared to YISS‐1, the results of YISS‐2 showed that a smaller proportion of youth had received unwanted online sexual solicitations and a smaller proportion had interacted online with strangers. However, larger proportions of youth reported being exposed to pornography they did not want to see and were being harassed online. In 2010, the third Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS‐3) was conducted to continue to track existing trends in the number and types of threats youth encounter using technology; assess risks of new behaviors and activities, including youth creating and distributing explicit images of themselves and/or peers; assess benefits and utilization of safety programs and technologies; and identify activities and behaviors most closely associated with risk. This document reviews key findings from YISS‐3. Details: Durham: University of New Hampshire, 2014. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2016 at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexual%20Solicitation%201%20of%204%20YISS%20Bulletins%20Feb%202014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexual%20Solicitation%201%20of%204%20YISS%20Bulletins%20Feb%202014.pdf Shelf Number: 138461 Keywords: Child Sexual ExploitationInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline VictimizationPornographySocial Media |
Author: Great Britain. Department for Culture, Media and Sport Title: Child Safety Online: Age Verification for Pornography Consultation Response Summary: The manifesto commitment: 'We will stop children's exposure to harmful sexualised content online, by requiring age verification for access to all sites containing pornographic material' As was set out in our consultation, the Government's preferred approach to delivering this commitment is to establish a new law, requiring age verification (AV) controls for online pornography this was the manifesto commitment, and following consideration of the consultation responses, remains the Government’s intention. To underpin this, we will also establish a new regulatory framework, and we will ensure a proportionate approach by enabling the regulator to act in a sufficiently flexible and targeted way. Following analysis of the responses to the consultation, Government will now take several next steps. We will: 1. Bring forward legislation, in the Digital Economy Bill, to establish a new law requiring age verification for commercial pornographic websites and applications containing still and moving images, and a new regulatory framework to underpin it 2. Continue to work with payments firms and ancillary companies to ensure that the business models and profits of companies that do not comply with the new regulations can be undermined 3. Maintain ongoing engagement with pornography providers, age verification providers, and other parts of the industry, to ensure that the regulatory framework is targeted and proportionate, to achieve maximum impact and to enable compliance 4. Continue to work on broader internet safety issues, including work led by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), and raising awareness and resilience Details: London: Department for Culture, Media & Sport, 2016. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534965/20160705_AVConsultationResponseFINAL__2_.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534965/20160705_AVConsultationResponseFINAL__2_.pdf Shelf Number: 147419 Keywords: Child ProtectionInternet SafetyOnline CommunicationOnline VictimizationPornography |
Author: Mitchell, Kimberly J. Title: The Role of Technology in Youth Harassment Victimization Summary: This bulletin summarizes the findings of the NIJ-sponsored Technology Harassment Victimization study, which is a follow-up study to the second National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence sponsored by OJJDP. The study examined technology-involved harassment within the context of other types of youth victimization and risk factors. The data reveal that mixed-peer harassment-involving both in-person and technology-based elements - is the most traumatic for victims, especially those who have been victimized in multiple ways in the past and are facing numerous stressors in their present lives. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2016. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250079.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250079.pdf Shelf Number: 146043 Keywords: BullyingHarassmentInternet CrimesInternet SafetySocial Media |
Author: Moura, Giovane Cesar Moreira Title: Internet Bad Neighborhoods Summary: A significant part of current Internet attacks originates from hosts that are distributed all over the Internet. However, there is evidence that most of these hosts are, in fact, concentrated in certain parts of the Internet. This behavior resembles the crime distribution in the real world: it occurs in most places, but it tends to be concentrated in certain areas. In the real world, high crime areas are usually labeled as "bad neighborhoods". The goal of this dissertation is to investigate Bad Neighborhoods on the Internet. The idea behind the Internet Bad Neighborhood concept is that the probability of a host in behaving badly increases if its neighboring hosts (i.e., hosts within the same subnetwork) also behave badly. This idea, in turn, can be exploited to improve current Internet security solutions, since it provides an indirect approach to predict new sources of attacks (neighboring hosts of malicious ones). In this context, the main contribution of this dissertation is to present the first systematic and multifaceted study on the concentration of malicious hosts on the Internet. We have organized our study according to two main research questions. In the first research question, we have focused on the intrinsic characteristics of the Internet Bad Neighborhoods, whereas in the second research question we have focused on how Bad Neighborhood blacklists can be employed to better protect networks against attacks. The approach employed to answer both questions consists in monitoring and analyzing network data (traces, blacklists, etc.) obtained from various real world production networks. One of the most important findings of this dissertation is the verification that Internet Bad Neighborhoods are a real phenomenon, which can be observed not only as network prefixes (e.g., /24, in CIDR notation), but also at different and coarser aggregation levels, such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and countries. For example, we found that 20 ISPs (out of 42,201 observed in our data sets) concentrated almost half of all spamming IP addresses. In addition, a single ISP was found having 62% of its IP addresses involved with spam. This suggests that ISP-based Bad Neighborhood security mechanisms can be employed when evaluating e-mail from unknown sources. This dissertation also shows that Bad Neighborhoods are mostly application specific and that they might be located in neighborhoods one would not immediately expect. For example, we found that phishing Bad Neighborhoods are mostly located in the United States and other developed nations - since these nations hosts the majority of data centers and cloud computing providers - while spam comes from mostly Southern Asia. This implies that Bad Neighborhood based security tools should be application-tailored. Another finding of this dissertation is that Internet Bad Neighborhoods are much less stealthy than individual hosts, since they are more likely to strike again a target previously attacked. We found that, in a one-week period, nearly 50% of the individual IP addresses attack only once a particular target, while up to 90% of the Bad Neighborhoods attacked more than once. Consequently, this implies that historical data of Bad Neighborhoods attacks can potentially be successfully employed to predict future attacks. Overall, we have put the Internet Bad Neighborhoods under scrutiny from the point of view of the network administrator. We expect that the findings provided in this dissertation can serve as a guide for the design of new algorithms and solutions to better secure networks. Details: Twente, NETH: University of Twente, 2013. 245p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 11, 2017 at: http://doc.utwente.nl/84507/1/thesis_G_Moura.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://doc.utwente.nl/84507/1/thesis_G_Moura.pdf Shelf Number: 144779 Keywords: Computer CrimeComputer SecurityInternet CrimesInternet SafetyInternet SecuritySpam |
Author: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Chidlren Title: Online Grooming of Children for Sexual Purposes: Model Legislation & Global Review Summary: The grooming of children for sexual purposes through the Internet and related technologies is a growing problem worldwide, putting countless children at risk for sexual abuse and exploitation. Grooming is the process by which an adult establishes or builds a relationship with a child, either in person or through the use of the Internet and related technologies, to facilitate online or offline sexual contact with the child. Online grooming can be connected with a variety of different forms of sexual exploitation of children, such as the creation of child sexual abuse material and sexual assault. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) reported that in England and Wales the Internet was used to commit an average of eight sexual crimes against children, including rape, grooming, and live streaming of abuse, every day in 2015. Each year, Internet availability and accessibility continues to improve, and in turn the number of Internet users globally grows steadily - more than 50% of the world's population now actively uses Internet services. There are more than 3.8 billion Internet users worldwide today with 70% of the world's Internet users ages 15-2412 and an estimated 750,000 predators online at any given moment. Easy access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) together with a growing population of young people online makes apparent the need for comprehensive legislation and other tools to help protect children from the risk of sexual abuse Technology gives offenders access to children around the clock. A 2010 study found that US children between the ages of 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours each day on the Internet. An even earlier study of Swedish children's media habits found that 82% of children ages 9-11 and 95% of children ages 12-16 use the Internet; 28% and 54% of those same age groups respectively use the Internet daily.17 These reports demonstrate that children around the world have integrated the Internet into their lives in a way that may still be incomprehensible to many adults. Children today use the Internet every day not only to communicate with one another, but also to establish and maintain relationships with others, their social spheres often spanning both online and offline without any clear separation between the two. Some studies show that children who have experienced negative life events or maltreatment may be more vulnerable to online grooming. However, research from various industrialized countries shows that some children who have been victimized online "shared no apparent negative prior life circumstances and appeared to have been randomly targeted...," demonstrating that "there is no typical victim and the most striking thing about children abused online is their heterogeneity." Victims are most often between the ages of 13-15. Some groomers communicate with many children simultaneously as they develop relationships and, in 2012, the European Online Grooming Research Project found that "girls seem to be at greater risk than boys." Boys are shown to constitute a "substantial group of the victims," but are generally less willing to report instances of abuse. Thus, the gap in confirmed victimization between boys and girls may be smaller than some reports indicate. Online grooming occurs via email, instant messaging apps, social networking sites, chatrooms, online gaming sites, photo sharing sites, and dating apps, which can be accessed through personal computers and laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. A 2012 UK-based survey of 1,718 children aged 11-16 years old revealed that 42% received online attachments by email from strangers, 37% added a stranger to their instant messaging contacts, and 35% added a stranger to their social networking friends group. These technologies are not only popular amongst younger generations, but they also provide offenders with a platform to create a persona and, in some cases, to mask their true age and identity. In doing so, they are better able to connect with children and more easily gain their trust and cooperation, ultimately introducing a sexual element into the relationship. In particular, social networking sites are widely used for online grooming. Offenders can use the Internet and related technologies to find vulnerable children who meet their preferred sexual interests by scanning such sites to find a young person's personal information before contacting them. For example, offenders can use such sites to access profile pictures, demographic information, interests, and communications with others (i.e., news feed, status posts, comments on posts) to target victims. Offenders thus can identify the children in whom they are interested so they may contact and eventually sexually exploit them. Child Internet users are particularly open to interacting with strangers because they use social media and social networking sites as a way to meet new people, rather than solely as a way to keep in touch with people they already know. Given such openness with strangers, a cybercrime study conducted in the UK estimated that "850,000 cases of unwanted online sexual approaches were made in chat rooms during 2006 and that 238 offenses of meeting a child following sexual grooming were recorded." A 2005 US study showed that one in 25 children ages 10-17 had received aggressive sexual solicitations that included attempts to contact them offline, and one in 25 were solicited by an online offender to take sexual pictures of themselves. Just five years later, another study reported that one in 11 US children aged 10 to 17 reported receiving an unwanted sexual solicitation online. Over the last two decades, online gaming has similarly grown into a worldwide activity for adults and children alike. The functionality of online gaming platforms (computers, video game consoles, or hand-held gaming systems) has evolved and expanded to include Internet access, messaging platforms, and photo and video sharing, thus enabling people around the world to communicate and play games with each other in real-time. Sexual predators increasingly use online games as a means to easily gain access to and connect with children. Subsequently, as more and more children play video games online, the risk of children coming into contact with sexual predators has grown. The unique capabilities of video games often enable video and voice communications between a child and an offender. Online games automatically give the offender and child a common interest, bypassing some of the child's fears of establishing a relationship with a stranger. In addition, children often spend time on the gaming platforms with little or no adult supervision, thus increasing an offender's ability to build and progress a relationship. Once a trust-relationship has been established, the offender may encourage the child to communicate on other platforms like private chatrooms, instant messengers, and social media apps, further facilitating the exchange of sexual conversations and images/videos, and even live-streaming sexual acts. While the grooming process can occur in-person, online grooming often progresses more rapidly, and the offender may use a variety of techniques to persuade, pressure, and manipulate the child to cooperate, all while taking advantage of the anonymity the Internet provides. Online groomers can persuade a child to meet in less than half an hour and, according to the findings of a UK-based research team, in some cases it can take as little as 18 minutes to convince a child to meet. Likewise, a Middlesex University (London) study found that offenders, when chatting online with children, often introduce sexual topics after just three minutes, and a bond can be formed with a child after only eight minutes. The grooming process is complex and involves "trust-building, isolation and desensitization towards sexual behavior...a network of processes and strategies that do not follow always the same order." As there is no single method of grooming children, there is also no single profile of online groomers. Details: Alexandria, VA: The Centre, 2017. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2018 at: http://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Grooming-of-Children_FINAL_9-18-17.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Grooming-of-Children_FINAL_9-18-17.pdf Shelf Number: 150267 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline GroomingOnline Sexual Abuse |
Author: Katz, Adrienne Title: Vulnerable Children in a Digital World Summary: There can be no doubt of the significant change connected technology has had on the day to day lives of children and young people, and the pace at which the technology they are using develops is relentless. What is clear from our research is that the support networks around vulnerable children have not yet caught up with the reliance many of them have on their devices and the connectivity it brings them. Although it is readily accepted that some children and young people are more vulnerable than others we must now systematically and thoroughly consider the digital dimension in their lives to ensure we can better protect them from online risk. The Good Childhood Report shows that 18% of children live with seven or more serious problems, such as fear of crime, domestic violence and emotional neglect. One in five children do not have stability because of residential transience. More than a quarter live with a parent who has a mental health difficulty while almost 10% act as young carers for someone in their family. Children and young people may have physical, emotional or mental health problems of their own, including disabilities and special needs or speech and language difficulties. Increasing numbers of our young people have mental health difficulties, while others exhibit emotional distress. When adverse childhood experiences are acknowledged, it is evident that certain children require additional support. Despite these documented adversities, some vulnerable children remain hidden and neglected. The Children's Commissioner for England has raised awareness of many hidden groups and described the risks faced by vulnerable young people as 'the biggest social justice challenge of our time'. It is not surprising therefore that vulnerability should extend to digital life. Online, despite the advantages of technology, some children's vulnerabilities are exacerbated, and others are ill prepared for safe internet use. This briefing paper will highlight how some young people are vulnerable online in specific ways and suggest some solutions. Details: London: Internet Matters, 2019. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2019 at: https://pwxp5srs168nsac2n3fnjyaa-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vulnerable-Children-in-a-Digital-World-FINAL.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://pwxp5srs168nsac2n3fnjyaa-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vulnerable-Children-in-a-Digital-World-FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 155604 Keywords: Child ProtectionCyberbullyingInternetInternet SafetyOnline VictimizationSocial MediaVulnerable Children |