Offenders convicted of child sexual exploitation material offences: characteristics of offenders and an exploration of judicial censure

The Characteristics of Virtual Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenders and the Harms of Offending: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Print Media

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has become a global problem. With technological advancements, a sub-type of material has emerged: virtual child sexual abuse material (VCSAM). Despite the far-reaching harms of this material, little is known about VCSAM offenders. Research has found some disconnect between the perceived harmfulness of VCSAM and legislative definitions, compared with CSAM. Given the media's influential ability to shape public perceptions, this exploratory study aimed to: (1) identify the characteristics of VCSAM offenders and (2) explore whether the harms of VCSAM are represented in this reporting. For the most up-to-date data, the search spanned 1 January 2019 to 23 September 2022. Of the 160 newspaper articles that appeared, 25 met the inclusion criteria. Four themes emerged from the qualitative content analysis: (1) VCSAM is a form of CSAM, (2) potential for escalation in offending from viewing VCSAM, (3) offenders have preferences in specific types of VCSAM (with the sub-theme: written stories and documents are VCSAM too), and (4) offenders "didn't know" the material was illegal. Overall, these findings were positive; how cases were reported may broadly educate the public about VCSAM offending, with articles signifying the harms of this offending. The current findings have the potential to contribute to prevention and intervention efforts, with utility in policymaking, criminal justice, media, and psychology disciplines.

Konsum von Missbrauchsabbildungen: Prävalenz, Ätiologie, Fallpriorisierung und Prognose

Der Konsum von Missbrauchsabbildungen hat sich im Hellfeld in den letzten Jahren immer wieder verdoppelt. Dieses erhöhte Fallaufkommen stellt Polizei, Bewährungshilfe und forensische Therapeuten vor eine Vielzahl neuer Herausforderungen. In diesem Beitrag sollen daher aktuelle theoretische Modelle und empirische Erkenntnisse dargestellt werden, um Praktiker in ihrer täglichen Arbeit zu unterstützen. Im Einzelnen sollen das Ausmaß der Problematik und ätiologische Erklärungsmodelle dargestellt werden. Darauffolgend werden empirische Erkenntnisse zu Konsumenten von Missbrauchsabbildungen aufgeführt und diese mit Tätern, die zusätzlich auch Hands-On-Delikte begehen, verglichen. Ferner wird die Problematik von „Crossover“-Tätern diskutiert. Abschließend werden Ansätze vorgestellt, um Fälle in der polizeilichen Ermittlungsarbeit zu priorisieren sowie um das Rückfallrisiko von Konsumenten von Missbrauchsabbildungen vorherzusagen.

Room for Improvement: How does the Media Portray Individuals Who Engage in Material Depicting Child Sexual Abuse?

The media has a powerful ability to shape public perceptions. Given the current disjuncture between social attitudes and the law in relation to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) it is important to explore the representation of CSAM offenders in the media. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify how CSAM offenders are depicted in the print media. Newspaper articles published from 1 August 2019 to 31 August 2020 on CSAM offenders in Western countries were searched. A qualitative content analysis was employed, revealing three themes across the 56 articles: (1) the headings of the articles downplayed the abusive offending; (2) offender's motivations indicate heterogeneity in offending; and (3) sentencing remarks communicated denunciation and the harms of offending. While the first theme identified that there is still space for improvement in the reporting of these crimes, the second theme indicates the various motivations portrayed should assist the public in identifying that these offenders are heterogenous in their motivations, thus potentially countering some previously held stereotypes. Finally, the denunciation and the harms taken from the messages delivered by the judiciary in the sentencing remarks could offer a positive educational tool for some members of the public. These findings should be valuable for media, law enforcement, and psychology disciplines.

Public Perceptions of Child Pornography and Child Pornography Consumers

Understanding the public's perceptions of child pornography helps identify gaps in awareness and knowledge, impacts legislative decision making, quantifies stigmatization, and provides a baseline for identifying differences between lay and offender populations for clinical purposes. This research provides a comprehensive public survey assessing these issues. An Internet-based sample of 524 adults (mean age = 47 years, 51% female) within the USA were asked about their understanding and beliefs related to child pornography and individuals who view child pornography. The questions covered three topic areas-general perceptions of child pornography, endorsement of child pornography beliefs, and opinions related to the legality of various forms of child pornography as well as the decision making related to sentencing and sex offender registration for child pornography consumers. The research found that the public viewed these offenses as more severe than most other crimes and that there was an overestimation by the public of risks related to recidivism and contact offending. Additionally, the research found that there was support for most of the current sentencing guidelines in the USA, including sex offender registration, and that there was limited support for treatment over incarceration.