NCJ Number
225398
Journal
Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: 2008 Pages: 160-180
Date Published
2008
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article provides a descriptive account of the range of types of online sexual encounters between children and adults that are today coming to the attention of the Swedish justice system.
Abstract
The data presented in this article provide an illustration of something of the range of types of online sexual contacts from adults that children in Sweden are currently being exposed to. At the same time, they indicate that the nature of these contacts, the range of types of online offenses currently being committed, and the strategies employed by adult perpetrators to persuade children to meet them offline are all similar to those found in other countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom where research has also been conducted in this area. It also seems reasonable to conclude that the prevalence of different types of sexual offenses is likely to be related to the amount of manipulation required from the offender to get the child to do what he/she wants. The expansion in Internet use since the mid-1990s has created a completely new and largely unmonitored forum for contacts between adults and children. The Internet offers favorable conditions for adults wishing to develop manipulative relationships with children. There is a growing concern about the way the Internet may be used by adults intent on sexually exploiting and abusing young people. In the country of Sweden, children are being subjected to both online and offline sexual offenses, by adults with whom they have come into contract via the Internet. Based on police data from Sweden, this article presents data on Internet-related sexual offenses against children. Tables and references