Interpersonal Cybercrime

Module 6 provides a comprehensive exploration of cybercrime victimization, addressing various forms of online exploitation and abuse such as online child sexual abuse material, cyberstalking, cyberharassment, image-based sexual abuse, and cyberbullying. It sheds light on the diverse groups affected by these crimes, emphasizing the impact of cyberexploitation, bullying, stalking, and obscenity on vulnerable populations. A significant portion of the module is dedicated to examining the legal landscape surrounding cybercrimes. It delves into relevant laws and legislation aimed at combatting cybercrimes and safeguarding individuals, particularly children, in online environments. U.S. Supreme Court cases serve as foundational examples, illustrating federal efforts to target cybercriminals and protect minors from online threats. Moreover, the module provides a cursory review of the intersection between online content and the sex trade industry, touching upon issues such as prostitution and sex tourism. By exploring the influence of online platforms on facilitating such activities, readers gain insights into the broader societal implications of cybercrime.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, you should be able to:

  • understand the nature of cybercrime victimization.
  • describe the groups affected by cyber exploitation, bullying, stalking, and obscenity.
  • describe the perpetrators of cyberstalking and exploitation via the Internet.
  • understand the law and legislation in the areas of cyberstalking, cyber exploitation, and pornography.
  • describe the Supreme Court cases that have been decided concerning federal efforts to target cybercriminals and protect children online.
  • understand and describe the issues with online pornography, child sexual abuse material, and child exploitation facilitated by the Internet.
  • understand the ways that the sex trade including prostitution and sex tourism has changed with the explosion of online content.
  • understand and describe the difficulties faced by law enforcement in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting cases of cyberstalking and cyberexploitation.

Summary

This chapter offers a comprehensive exploration of cybercrime victimization, focusing on its various dimensions and the diverse groups affected by cyber exploitation, bullying, stalking, and obscenity. It delves into the characteristics of perpetrators involved in cyberstalking and exploitation via the internet, shedding light on the motivations and tactics employed by these individuals. In addition, this chapter serves as a comprehensive resource for policymakers, law enforcement professionals, and researchers grappling with the complexities of cybercrimes in contemporary society.

A significant portion of the chapter is dedicated to analyzing the legal landscape surrounding cybercrimes, particularly in the realms of cyberstalking, cyber exploitation, and online pornography. Readers gain insights into the relevant laws and legislation aimed at addressing these issues, along with federal efforts targeting cybercriminals and protecting children online. Notably, the chapter examines key Supreme Court cases that have shaped legal responses to cybercrimes and online exploitation.

Moreover, the chapter provides a detailed examination of the nature and extent of online pornography, child sexual abuse material, and child exploitation facilitated by the internet. It explores how the proliferation of online content has transformed the landscape of the sex trade, including prostitution and sex tourism, presenting new challenges for law enforcement and policymakers.

The chapter concludes by addressing the difficulties faced by law enforcement agencies in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting cases of cyberstalking and cyber exploitation. It highlights the technological and jurisdictional complexities inherent in combating cybercrimes, along with the need for enhanced collaboration and resources to effectively address these challenges in the digital age.

Overall, this chapter serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding the multifaceted nature of cybercrime victimization, legal frameworks, societal impacts, and the evolving dynamics of online exploitation and abuse. It provides valuable insights for policymakers, law enforcement professionals, and researchers grappling with the complexities of cybercrimes in contemporary society.

Key Takeaways

The Internet has grown rapidly since its origins in the 1960s and has become a global network of interconnected computers that transcends traditional boundaries and regulations.

Child sexual abuse material is a special and illegal case of pornography that involves the sexual exploitation and abuse of minors. Child pornography is different from adult erotica or obscenity, as it harms identifiable victims who are protected by international law. Child pornography is also difficult to define and regulate, as it may involve various forms of depiction, such as actual children, simulations, morphings, and now AI-generated images.

The regulation of child sexual abuse material on the Internet faces many challenges and controversies. These include the issues of free speech, privacy, censorship, jurisdiction, encryption, and cooperation. Various governments, agencies, and organizations have attempted to control or limit the spread of child pornography, but have also encountered legal, technical, and social obstacles. The most pressing need is for an international legal framework and coordination to combat child pornography and protect children from harm.

Catholic Medical Association (CMA) that argued against school-based prevention-education programs for children, claiming that they are ineffective, inappropriate, and harmful. The CMA’s claim that the concepts taught by prevention programs are too complex, irrelevant, or dangerous for children, and cites evidence that children can learn and benefit from them.

Legal and policy challenges arise from the anonymous, pervasive, and often sexual nature of cyber-bullying, as well as the unclear boundaries of school authority and responsibility in virtual space. Schools need guidelines that balance student rights and safety, and that address the educational mission and values of schools.

Multi-disciplinary and collaborative approaches are needed to develop effective and inclusive strategies to prevent and respond to cyber-bullying. Schools should work with researchers, policy makers, parents, students, and other stakeholders to create positive school environments that foster social responsibility and civic discourse.

Key Terms/Concepts

Anonymity Practices
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
Cyberbullying
Cyberexploitation
Internet Anonymity
Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

Modern Example

AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM)

The emergence of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) presents a significant and concerning challenge in the realm of cybercrime and child exploitation. AI technology has advanced to the point where it can realistically create images and videos that depict minors in sexually explicit situations, often indistinguishable from real content. This poses several unique challenges:

Authenticity: AI-generated CSAM can be incredibly realistic, making it difficult for both humans and traditional content moderation algorithms to distinguish between genuine and fabricated material. This authenticity can exacerbate the dissemination of CSAM, as perpetrators may use AI to produce large volumes of illicit content.

The proliferation of AI-generated CSAM can increase the accessibility of such material, as it can be easily shared and distributed through various online platforms and networks. This accessibility can perpetuate the victimization of minors and facilitate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

The existence of AI-generated CSAM raises complex legal and ethical questions regarding the production, distribution, and possession of such material. Law enforcement agencies and policymakers must grapple with how to address this type of content within existing legal frameworks and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

The creation and dissemination of AI-generated CSAM can have profound and lasting impacts on the victims depicted in the material. Even though the content may be fabricated, victims may still experience significant emotional and psychological harm knowing that such material exists and is being circulated online.

Addressing the challenge of AI-generated CSAM requires a multifaceted approach that involves collaboration between technology companies, law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and advocacy groups. This approach may include developing advanced detection and moderation tools capable of identifying AI-generated content, implementing robust legal frameworks to prosecute offenders, and providing support services for victims affected by this form of exploitation. Additionally, efforts to educate the public about the existence and dangers of AI-generated CSAM are crucial in raising awareness and fostering proactive measures to combat this emerging threat

AI for safer children initiative and its Global Hub (AI for Good, Jan. 2024)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can not only assist law enforcement agencies in solving crimes but is becoming increasingly crucial particularly in child sexual exploitation and abuse cases, where vast amounts of material heavily burden individual officers. Examples of AI tools and techniques to support law enforcement in these investigations will be discussed, as well as the AI for Safer Children Global Hub – an online platform with a catalogue of over 70 of these tools – and trainings which bring together a community united in combating this crime with innovative methods.

 

Read, Review, Watch and Listen

  1. Read The History of Child Pornography on the Internet – Journal of Sex Education and Therapy (Casanova et al., 2000). The History of Child Pornography on the Internet.
    1. [1].
  2. Read Supreme Court Strikes Down Ban on Virtual Child Pornography (New York Times (April, 2002).
  3. Read about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
  4. Read the NCMEC’s brochure, Coping with child sexual abuse material csam exposure 2020.
  5. Read about the United States’ national bullying initiative – click HERE.
  6. Read and learn about the Definition, Research on Bullying, Bullying and Suicide, and Anti-Bullying Laws (stopbullying.gov, 2021).
  7. Read about the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program.
  8. Learn more about ICAC’s resources from the Internet Safety page. Review resources within each of the four categories: (1) Parents, (2) Youth, (3) General, and (4) Videos.
  9. Read Sexual harassment in the metaverse? Woman alleges rape in virtual world.
  10. Read Brian Dunleavy’s Sextortion’ study: Men at higher risk for online blackmail in pandemic than women [UPI, Jan. 2022].
  11. Watch Interview with Justice Berry (New York Times, Dec. 2005).

Watch One Good Friend | StopBullying.gov:

Activity

Students should review the course syllabus to determine the assignment of this activity.

This is a copy of the module’s activity that students find within Blackboard. For that reason, refer to the Activities page to submit your work for review.

Purpose

The purpose of this activity is to further explore prevention resources for child combating interpersonal cybercrime.

Overview

A variety of victimizations can occur online, many that are like their real-world counterparts. In particular, the nature of the victimizations included threats, obscene comments and intimations, and exposure to obscene and threatening materials, including pictures and other media. Most often, children and women are the primary targets of those who would commit cyberstalking and exploitation over the Internet. Most commonly, white males between the ages of 18 and 35 make up most of the offenders.

The U.S. Supreme Court has had the opportunity to hear several cases regarding cybercrime laws, e.g., Child Pornography Prevention Act (1996). Many of the same issues involving non-cybercrimes are being heard by the court. Many of the laws were overturned for being too vague and sweeping with too broad of a stroke. The federal government has responded with the passage of new laws and refinements of the old laws to regulate and control content on the Internet, particularly the access of children to objectionable content. These types of crimes also present unique difficulties for law enforcement, including lack of expertise, lack of resources, and difficulty in tracking and prosecuting offenders.

Instructions

  1. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and review the overview of child sexual abuse: https://www.rainn.org/articles/child-sexual-abuse
    1. Also review RAINN reported statistics related to the prevalence of sexual abuse against children and teens: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/children-and-teens
  2. Read Prevention of Sexual Abuse Through Educational Programs Directed Towards Children by Dr. David Finkelhor (2007) [http://unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV170.pdf]
  3. Go to the Monique Burr – Foundation (MBF) for Children – Prevention Education Programs (https://www.mbfpreventioneducation.org/lets-talk-prevention/)
  4. Select one of the nine series videos to review. Note that each video is approximately 1-hour in length.

Answer the following questions:

  1. Identify the name of the selected MBF online series and explain its focus and general purpose; be specific and go beyond the title of the presentation.
  2. Describe one of the most interesting or important things that you learned from watching the video presentation. Be specific and incorporate course-related concepts into your answer.
  3. In your estimation, how might this information aid in the work of technology and/or enforcement professionals involved in combatting CSAM? Explain.

Key Terms/Concepts

Child molestation is a crime involving a range of indecent or sexual activities between an adult and a child, usually under the age of 14. In psychiatric terms, these acts are sometimes known as pedophilia. It is important, however, to keep in mind that child molestation and child Sexual Abuse refer to specific, legally defined actions.

Child exploitation is the act of using a minor child for profit, labor, sexual gratification, or some other personal or financial advantage. According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) [2021], the advent of the internet created a new tool for child-pornography collectors, traders and manufacturers to sexually exploit children. Prior to the digital age, child pornographers relied on physical exchanges or the U.S. mail system to gain access to illegal material. The internet provided an instant, somewhat anonymous, at-home vehicle for these individuals to meet one another, trade files, and access children to victimize.

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM), formerly known as child pornography (CP), involves the abuse and harm perpetrated against children and is a more accurate description of the harm. The more accurate label of CSAM is slowly replacing the reference to CP throughout academic and legal communities. It is important to remember that unlike adult pornography, children do not engage in consensual erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement.

Professional Note, Dr. Eric R. Ramirez-Thompson is a proud and active member of RAINN’s Speakers Bureau (https://www.rainn.org/speakers-bureau). He encourages those who want to learn more or need assistance to visit these other resources:

Refer to the course learning management system (LMS); that is Blackboard (BB), for the correct due date. In addition, submit your work via BB for grading.

Discussion Questions

  1. How can schools balance their duty of care for student safety with respect for student privacy and freedom of expression in cyber-space?
  2. What are some of the legal and educational challenges that cyber-bullying poses for schools in Canada and the U.S.?
  3. What are some of the best practices or policy guidelines that schools can adopt to prevent and address cyber-bullying among their students?
  4. How do you evaluate the arguments of the critics who claim that the concepts taught in prevention programs are too complex, inappropriate, or ineffective for children to learn and apply?
  5. What are the strengths and limitations of the studies that have examined the outcomes of prevention programs, such as victimization rates, disclosure rates, self-blame, and anxiety levels?
  6. What other prevention strategies besides school-based education programs could be implemented to reduce the occurrence and impact of child sexual abuse? How would you measure their effectiveness?

Supplemental Readings

Read, Review, Watch and Listen to all listed materials by the due date listed within the course LMS site.

Click HERE to report any needed updates, e.g., broken links.

 

  1. a. While most legislation uses the term “child pornography,” there has been recent movement globally towards use of other terms, including “child sexual abuse material” and “child sexual abuse content,” which more accurately capture the exploitation that occurs. ↵
definition

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Computers and Criminal Justice Copyright © 2021 by Eric R. Ramirez-Thompson, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book