NCJ Number
223051
Journal
International Journal of Cyber Criminology Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: 2007 Pages: 198-212
Date Published
2007
Length
15 pages
Annotation
After reviewing some of the risks of criminal victimization confronting youth who use the Internet, this paper describes the theoretical basis and effectiveness of strategies to prevent the online victimization of youth, and the author suggests some situational-based crime prevention strategies based on empirical evidence.
Abstract
Youth who use the Internet regularly risk being exposed to sexual solicitation, unwanted harassment, and unwanted exposure to sexual material. The Federal Government has made numerous attempts to pass legislation and initiate protective programs that will prevent the online victimization of youth. This paper briefly reviews the Federal statutes that have targeted various harmful online activities only to be overturned by Federal courts as unconstitutional. Recently, the U.S. Congress has had some success in passing legislation that protects adolescents from online victimization while they are at school. There have also been efforts to mount proactive law enforcement efforts aimed at reducing online victimization. In addition to legislation, the Federal Government has developed various programs that assist law enforcement and parents in protecting children online. The Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program, developed by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in 1998, aimed to help State and local law enforcement agencies create programs that target online enticement and child pornography. One of the more successful programs, CyberTipline and CyberTipline II provide for citizens to report suspicious activity on the Internet. Based on such citizen reports, more than 550 individuals have been arrested for child sexual exploitation, and 627 search warrants have been served. Programs that increase guardianship for youth in their online activities while decreasing their risk of exposure to predators (i.e. digital locks and protections), as well as deter the motivated offender from approaching youth online, should decrease the likelihood of victimization. 62 references