Victimisation through the production and distribution of abuse images.

1. Victimisation through the production and distribution of abuse images. Dr. Ethel Quayle and COPINE Project UCC Ireland

2. COPINE Research

3. Offending Behaviour All may be associated with contact offences

4. Function of images

5. Process model of offending • Generation of a process model of offending: • Not all offenders engage in the same activities, but there are commonalities in the process. • Helps us understand what moves people along an offending chain. • Focus on observable behaviours, but also on private events (thoughts and feelings).

6. Are these critical points for concern in contact offending? Probability of Risk Passive collecting Active collecting Critical Points? Social engagement • Other factors: • risk taking • engagement with images • chat or image focus Offline activity Facilitating/enabling social environment Computer focus Collection Organisation, etc. Real life focus Playgrounds/ Parks

7. Abuse images and the Internet? • Ease of access. • Affordability • Reduced risk (perceived anonymity). • Ability to store and catalogue. • Ability to build up large collections.

8. Impact of viewing on behaviour? • Not a causal relationship, but viewing increases the likelihood of offending for at least some people. • Viewing images that are highly deviant or violent increases this risk. • Case study analysis indicates a disinhibiting effect of pornography on adolescent sexual behaviour (Cooper, 2004). • Where impulse control is low, this may increase aggressive sexual behaviour.

9. Impact of viewing on adolescents • Increased risk for negative development • Viewers more likely to show ‘deviant’ attitudes towards sexuality and intimate relationships. • Perceptions of sexual dominance, submissiveness, sex-role stereotyping or viewing persons as sexual objects common. • Oddone-Paolucci and Genius (2002)

10. Perceived risks for adolescents • Exposure to incorrect information about human sexual behaviour • Exposure to age inappropriate sexual materials • Potential to develop sexually compulsive behaviour • Potential to develop sexual ‘addiction’ • Enhancement of deviant sexual fantasies • Masturbation to materials downloaded • Longo (2004)

11. Adolescent victims and victimisers? • Adolescent children are curious and interested about sexuality • In many instances at least some of their sexual behaviour may be viewed as ‘complinace’ (Lanning, 2002) - this does not detract from the illegality of the activity or shift notions of blame. • Increasing accounts of ‘self-victimisation’ - fits with risk taking behaviours in adolescence.

12. Gaps in our knowledge • “We are just beginning to understand the problem of young people with sexual behaviour problems and Internet use for sexual purposes. A growing number of cases appear to be presenting themselves in general mental health clinics as well as in sex-offence specific treatment programmes’ (Longo, 2004). • There is a lack of scientific research related to children, young people and sexual activity on the Internet.

13. The COPINE Project University College Cork Ireland 00 353 21 4904552 http//:copine.ucc.ie copine@ucc.ie