Internet Crimes Against Children

• NCJ Number: 184931
• Author(s): Helen Connelly
• Date Published: December 2001
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Series: OVC Training
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance)

Annotation

This report discusses juvenile victims of Internet-based crimes, highlights the challenges for law enforcement and victim services, and explains appropriate responses to victims and families.

Abstract

Perpetrators use the same process over the Internet as they do in person; however, the anonymity that the Internet provides to perpetrators has increased the danger to children. Older age and other factors make some children more vulnerable than others to exploitation and harassment on the Internet. Crimes include online contact for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts; using the Internet to produce and distribute child pornography; and others. A national survey conducted in 1999 revealed that 1 in 5 youth received a sexual approach or solicitation and 1 in 33 youths received an aggressive sexual solicitation over the Internet in the past year. Few incidents were reported to authorities. In addition, offenses and offenders were more diverse than previously thought. Sources of information and intervention resources to address this problem include the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force program of the Missing Children's Program of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Additional resources include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Law enforcement and victim service professionals will continue to use the standard approaches that have proved effective working with other types of child victims and their families until more knowledge is available about Internet crime and its effects on victims. Reference notes and lists of 18 sources of additional information