Child Sexual Abuse and Opportunity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Wortley
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Situational Crime Prevention ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Environmental Criminology ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
Offending Behavior ◽  
Child Sex Abuse ◽  
Legal Controls

Explanations of child sex abuse typically focus on the offenders’ presumed pathological dispositions that are seen to drive their offending behavior, and pay little attention to the role played by opportunity and other situational factors. It is argued in this chapter that child sexual abuse, like all behavior, is the product of a person-situation interaction and as such can be analysed using the theories and approaches of environmental criminology. Child sexual abuse is found to occur in contexts where potential victims can be easily accessed and where personal, social, situational, and legal controls over potential offenders are weak. Establishing a situational basis for child sexual abuse opens the way for the application of situational crime prevention strategies to create safer places for children.

scholarly journals Legal Irresponsibility and Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Crofts
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Catholic Education ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Royal Commission ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
Institutional Responses ◽  
Child Sex Abuse

The current Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has demonstrated serious long-term failures to prevent and adequately respond to child sexual abuse by institutions. Rather than regarding the law as a system of responsibility, this article argues that it can be read instead as organising irresponsibility, drawing upon Scott Veitch’s ideas in Law and Irresponsibility. His key argument is that legal institutions operate as much to deflect responsibility for harms suffered as to acknowledge them. This article focuses on the ways in which the criminal justice system is complicit in organising irresponsibility for systemic failures through an analysis of the Royal Commission Case Study No 6: The responses of a primary school and the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office to the Conduct of Gerald Byrnes. Through concrete examples, this article analyses the ways in which criminal law organises irresponsibility through the individuation of responsibility and the emphasis upon subjective culpability. These practices ensure irresponsibility for actors for systemic failures.

scholarly journals Factors associated with child sexual abuse in Tanzania: a qualitative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mangi J. Ezekiel ◽  
Felix Kisanga ◽  
Idda H. Mosha ◽  
Amani Anaeli ◽  
Switbert R. Kamazima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Child Sex Abuse ◽  
Different Levels

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is one of the most pervasive occurrences which are reported all over the world. It often goes unnoticed and undocumented due to surrounding taboos; its sensitivity in nature and affects the less powerful population. Anecdote information is available on the nature and extent of sexual abuse among children in Tanzania. The aim of this study was to explore factors, forms, context of abuse and perpetrators of child sex abuse in selected regions of Tanzania.Methods: Key informant interviews were conducted among adults including parents of the victims to explore factors associated with sexual abuse of children under 10 years old in Tanzania. The interview guide centred on factors for child sexual abuse, the type of perpetrators and the context into which these abuses take place.Results: There were incidences of child sexual abuse in Tanzania and the major forms were anal and vaginal penetration, and the most affected were girls. The abuses were rarely reported due to shame and embarrassment faced by the affected children and parents. The causes of child sexual abuse were poverty, ambitions and moral degradation, myths and beliefs, urbanization, foreign culture and poor parental care. Incidents of CSA were reported to occur in perpetrators’ homes and in semi-finished housing structures, madrassa and recreational venues where children can freely access entertainment by watching movies. These acts were committed by people in position of power, close relationship and trusted by the children. Contexts where child sexual abuses occur included overcrowded living spaces and social activities that go on late into the night.Conclusion: We recommend for strengthened interventions at different levels within the society to address the root causes and different contexts in which child sex abuse occurs. Increased awareness of the root causes should go hand in hand with measures to encourage parents and survivors to report incidents to relevant authorities timely as they occur.

scholarly journals Usability and Effectiveness of the Finnish Investigative Instrument of Child Sexual Abuse

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tadei ◽  
pekka santtila ◽  
Jan Antfolk
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Probability Estimation ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
Empirical Information ◽  
Proper Training ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Child Sex Abuse

The Finnish Investigative Instrument of Child Sexual Abuse (FICSA) is a computerized tool that uses Bayesian statistics to estimate the probability that a reported child sex abuse (CSA) is true or false based on population level information regarding the correlates of CSA. FICSA can be used to assist decision-making in investigations of CSA. We compared forensic experts’ and students’ ability to use FICSA and whether its use affected the estimates of the probability of CSA in mock-scenarios. The use of FICSA was compared to only having access to the empirical information about CSA risk and protective factors, which FICSA is based on, and to unassisted decision-making. The 54 participants analyzed two scenarios of possible CSA and estimated the probability of the CSA allegation being true. The results show that participants using FICSA were prone to make technical mistakes that affect the correctness of the probability estimation. The performance of experts and students was equivalent in all the conditions, but in the group using FICSA, where experts tended to deviate from the probability provided by FICSA more than students. Having only access to empirical information did not improve estimates compared to unassisted decision-making. Both students and experts tended to adjust the estimates provided by FICSA downwards, that is, to decrease the probability of abuse. We conclude that FICSA can assist investigators to correctly integrate evidence and calculate probabilities but that proper training is required.

The moral duty to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse

Human Affairs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-198
Author(s):  
Sergei Levin
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Moral Duty ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
Moral Duties ◽  
Child Sex Abuse ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Child sexual abuse and paedophilia are ethically loaded public health issues. This paper looks at whether there are any specific moral duties related to paedophilia. I argue that the moral duty not to commit child sex abuse is universal and that the duty to reduce the individual risk of child sex abuse is specific to paedophiles. A paedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children. Some paedophiles commit child sex abuse offences, but others are able to refrain from doing so and have the rational capacity to take adequate preventive measures. The risk of committing child sex abuse and the ability to reduce that risk are a moral duty pertaining specifically to paedophiles. I further argue that society has a moral duty to help paedophiles to fulfil that duty. Unfortunately, societies rarely provide such opportunities and hence fail in their moral duty towards paedophiles and children.

Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 658-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. White ◽  
Karen J. Terry
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Excessive Force ◽  
Police Organization ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
Police Deviance ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church response to its sexual abuse crisis and how the problem should be addressed parallels the “rotten apple” assertions of police deviance. The rotten apple theory, however, does not fully explain police deviance, as there are often also structural explanations. This article employs Kappeler, Sluder, and Alpert's (1998) police deviance framework to characterize and understand the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, drawing specific comparisons to the intentional use of excessive force by police. Though the analogy has limitations, there are similarities at both the individual and organizational levels, particularly because the Church has implemented accountability mechanisms similar to the police. The article concludes with a discussion of lessons the Church can learn from the police organization as they seek to prevent, control, and effectively respond to sexual abuse of children by their clergy.

How do child sexual abuse live streaming offenders access victims?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Napier ◽  
Coen Teunissen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Situational Crime Prevention ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Live Streaming ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Warning Messages ◽  
Experienced Child ◽  
To Receive

This study analysed chat logs obtained for seven offenders who committed 145 child sexual abuse (CSA) live streaming offences against 74 victims. The study found that offenders accessed victims online or by forming relationships with Filipino locals during trips to the Philippines, which would then move online and lead to CSA live streaming. A facilitator was involved in approximately 35 percent of offences. Facilitators were often female family members of victims (eg mothers and sisters). Some facilitators appeared to have experienced child sexual abuse as well. Although some offenders intentionally targeted children, it was also common for offenders to receive unsolicited offers of CSA live streaming from facilitators and victims. This suggests that some CSA live streaming offenders are ‘opportunistic’, and may be responsive to situational crime prevention and primary prevention measures such as messaging campaigns and online warning messages posted on specific sites where victims are targeted.

scholarly journals Using heat maps to identify areas prone to violence against women in the public sphere

Crime Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Garfias Royo ◽  
Priti Parikh ◽  
Jyoti Belur
Keyword(s):  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Situational Crime Prevention ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Heat Maps ◽  
Crime Data

Abstract The lack of accessible crime data, especially geolocations, in developing countries often acts as a barrier to identifying environmental or situational factors in high crime areas that might contribute to the facilitation of those crimes. This paper presents a methodology for conducting fieldwork for creating heat maps to identify areas prone to violence against women (VAW) in Corregidora, Mexico. Heat maps were produced based on household survey data. The results were used to select specific high concentration locations to conduct structured observations and inductive visual analysis at street level in order to identify if and what situational factors might influence the perpetration of VAW in those locations. Four broad features were identified in the urban built environment during the site visits linked to the facilitation of opportunities for the commission of VAW: (1) lacking infrastructure, (2) presence of physical obstacles, (3) poor visibility and (4) restricted pedestrian mobility. The paper demonstrates the utility of this method for aiding situational crime prevention strategies in areas where official spatial crime data is unavailable or lacking. This study presents a relatively low cost (although labour intensive) and independent method of aiding crime prevention strategies, which will hopefully be of practical value for organisations in areas with poor crime recording practices and limited access to expensive mapping technologies.

Child Sex Abuse and Recovered Memories of Abuse: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-380
Author(s):  
Susan P. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Recovered Memories ◽  
Sex Abuse ◽  
The Past ◽  
Child Sex Abuse ◽  
History Of ◽  
Looking Back ◽  
Over Time

Sexual abuse of children has garnered a substantial amount of empirical research, state and federal legislation, and media coverage in the past several decades. This article briefly examines the history of child maltreatment and child sexual abuse (CSA) and societal responses to it. A review of selected articles on CSA that were published since the inception of Families in Society reveals how our knowledge of and ideas about sexual abuse, the perpetrators, responses to abuse allegations, and the Freudian concept of repression have changed over time. The phenomenon of repressed and recovered memories of abuse is also discussed, including the articles that were published in the journal. Despite continued disagreement in the field between researchers and clinicians, a summary is provided detailing points of consensus related to CSA and recovered memories.

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