child pornography and sexual exploitation of children online

Ü The challenge of virtual child pornography is considered in the light of increasing
concern about technical ease of production and potential sophistication of image
production. This is considered in the context of manga and the bid by some countries
(for example the UK) to criminalise the possession of non-photographic depictions
of child sexual abuse (ie, cartoons). We argue that the crime of possession, making or
distribution of child pornography, whether virtual or not, is a crime not only against a
particular child, but against all children.
Ü The paper examines the potential harms posed to children by the new technologies and
how we might differentiate between sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and commercial
sexual exploitation in the online environment. We argue that the new media blur the
boundaries between these and provide a context that affords opportunities for both the
abuse and the exploitation of children and by children. We consider what is known about
adult offending activity online and those who engage in it, and the technologies used.
Some of these have changed since 2001 but others, such as newsgroups, have not and
still provide a context for sharing of information and ideas that promote the abuse and
exploitation of children. The section concludes by examining the, at times, conflicting
research about the relationship between viewing abusive images and the commission of
further offences against children in both the online and offline environments.
Ü Our lack of knowledge about children who are victimised is explored, initially in the
context of the few children who are identified in images, but also in relation to the
paucity of research on the impact of Internet related sexual abuse. Sweden is one of the
few countries that has systematically examined the disclosure process and the therapeutic
needs of such children, and this research may inform future good practice. However, as
with work in Germany and in the UK, we do not know whether such approaches will
translate into other therapeutic contexts. It is also clear that in the majority of countries
practitioners do not explore such abuse and feel that they do not have the skills to deal
with such problems. We also note that there is marked lack of service provision for such
children.
Ü The paper examines what we know about young people’s behaviour online and how this
might expose them to sexualised materials in a potentially harmful way. This highlights
how research has typically examined exposure to pornography without differentiating
between the different types of material that this might include and the different social
and familial contexts that might offer protection. We acknowledge the difficulties in
this area in balancing the rights of the child to explore their sexuality and the right to
be protected from that which might cause harm. This would seem to be of particular
2|Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of Children Online