Solicitation and Sexualized Interactions of Minors with Adults: Prevalence, Overlap with Other Forms of Cybervictimization, and Relationship with Quality of Life

Sexual solicitation and sexualized interaction with minors by adults constitute one of the most pernicious risks of the Internet. Little is known about the age range in which this phenomenon is most prevalent or the relationship and overlap of this problem with other risks, such as peer-to-peer cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse. Additionally, little empirical evidence exists on whether the overlap between these types of online victimization affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to: 1) analyze the prevalence of sexual solicitation and interaction according to sex and stage of adolescence; 2) relate this problem to other forms of online victimization (cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse); 3) analyze the overlap between these forms of online victimization and differences in HRQoL scores. A cross-sectional and analytical study with 3,578 adolescents (52.7% girls) aged between 10-15 years was carried out. Of the adolescents in the study sample, 12.6% (n = 448) had received sexual requests and 6.4% (n = 230) had interacted sexually with adults. Sexual solicitation was most common among girls in middle adolescence. Of the participants, 33.9% (n = 1,216) had been involved in some form of online victimization. Peer cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse were positively and significantly correlated with sexualized solicitation/interactions with adults. Victims with the overlapping of all three types of online victimization (2.7%, n = 98) presented the lowest HQRoL scores (p < .001).

Unraveling cyber sexual abuse of minors: Psychometrics properties of the Multidimensional Online Grooming Questionnaire and prevalence by sex and age

BACKGROUND

Online child grooming includes the online behaviors of an adult aimed at achieving some type of sexual interaction with a minor. However, to date, quantitative research that has investigated the strategies online groomers employ to gain their victim's trust is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To this end, the main aim of this study was to distinguish and measure different strategies of the online grooming process by developing and examining the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Online Grooming Questionnaire (MOGQ). We also analyzed the prevalence of different strategies of online grooming among a sample of minors and their associations with grooming outcomes (i.e., online sexual solicitations and sexual interactions) and mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety).

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample consisted of 1704 participants between 12 and 15 years of age (864 girls; M_age = 13.77, SD = 1.13).

METHODS

Examination of the structure of the MOGQ was accomplished using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). For this purpose, the sample was randomly divided into two subsamples.

RESULTS

EFA and CFA showed a structure composed of five factors, including Use of Deception, Gift giving, Study of victim's environment, Sexualization, and Aggression. Second, the analysis of the relationship of online grooming with grooming outcomes (online sexual solicitations and sexual interactions) and mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety) provided evidence for the concurrent validity of the instrument. Finally, the prevalence of grooming strategies within the sample ranged between 7% for aggression to 18% for interest in the victim's environment. Overall grooming strategies were more prevalent for girls than boys and increased with age.

CONCLUSION

Distinguishing between different strategies of online grooming is recommended in order to advance research and the prevention of this type of child abuse.

Prevalence, contexts, and correlates of child sexual abuse in Cyprus

It is well documented that child sexual abuse (CSA) may be one of the major public health problems in the world, especially due to the co-occurrence with other types of abuse and negative developmental outcomes. The aim of the current study was the comprehensive examination of CSA with respect to its prevalence, its contexts of occurrence and its correlates. The sample included 1852 adolescents and young adults (15-25 years old; 441 males), recruited through schools, universities and other youth organizations across Cyprus. Participants were administered an online questionnaire assessing multiple forms of abuse, with a focus on sexual abuse, solicitation, and trafficking, as well as personality traits. The study's results supported previous findings in Europe that 1 in 5 children may experience sexual abuse or solicitation, with females being more likely than males to be the victim of CSA. Findings also indicated that the different types of sexual abuse were more likely to occur during adolescence than other developmental stages. In addition, perpetrators were more often identified to be adolescent or adult males who were strangers or friends/acquaintances with the victims. Moreover, findings suggested that experiences of sexual abuse and solicitation co-occur with neglect, physical, and psychological abuse. Regarding personality traits, sexual abuse was found to be specifically related to grandiosity, whereas sexual solicitation was related to both impulsivity and grandiosity. The current study has practical and policy implications for intervening with sexually maltreated individuals.

youth 2000-2010: findings from three Youth Internet Safety Surveys

To explore the decline in online sexual solicitations between 2000 and 2010 by examining the characteristics of solicitations to better inform prevention efforts. Data are from the Youth Internet Safety Surveys (YISS); three cross-sectional, nationally representative telephone surveys of 3561 youth Internet users in the United States, ages 10 through 17 (1501 in YISS-1; 1500 in YISS-2; 1560 in YISS-3). Unwanted online sexual solicitation was defined as requests to engage in sexual activities or sexual talk or give personal sexual information that were unwanted or, whether wanted or not, made by an adult. The decline in unwanted sexual solicitations from 19% in 2000 to 13% in 2005 to 9% in 2010 was driven by a reduction in youth who were being asked to talk about sex or for personal sexual information online. Pre-teens (ages 10-12) accounted for the majority of this decline. Multiple solicitations over the course of a year also decreased. More solicitations occurred at the hands of people youth knew in person prior to the incident - mainly friends and acquaintances, and less so at the hands of people youth met online. By 2010 most solicitations were occurring through social networking sites. Victims were disclosing solicitation incidents at greater rates in 2010 - mostly to friends. In spite of continuing anxiety about the impact of the Internet on the safety of youth, encouraging trends suggest experiences, behavior and education are moving in the direction of greater online safety and improved experiences for youth.