Profiling Darkweb Child Sexual Exploitation Material Forum Members Using Longitudinal Posting History Data

2021 ◽  
pp. 089443932199489
Author(s):  
Madeleine van der Bruggen ◽  
Arjan Blokland
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
English Language ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Communication Patterns ◽  
Developmental Pathways ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
History Data ◽  
Trajectory Modeling ◽  
Child Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Observation Period

Darkweb fora dedicated to the illegal exchange of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) continue to thrive. Profiling forum members based on their communication patterns will increase our insights in the dynamics of online CSEM and may aid law enforcement to identify those members who are most influential and pose the highest risk. The current study uses data from a large English language Darkweb CSEM forum that was active between 2010 and 2014, containing over 400,000 posts. Posts were time stamped, categorized based on subforum topic, and linked to individual forum members by nickname. Group-based trajectory modeling was subsequently applied to derive forum member profiles based on members’ posting history. Analyses show that over the course of the observation period, overall activity levels—in terms of total number of posting members and the average number of posts per month per member—fluctuate substantially and that multiple developmental pathways—in terms of monthly patterns in the frequency of posts by individual members—can be distinguished. Theoretical and practical ramifications of these findings are discussed.

A Crime Script Analysis of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Fora on the Darkweb

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107906322098106
Author(s):  
Madeleine van der Bruggen ◽  
Arjan Blokland
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Case File ◽  
Script Analysis ◽  
Child Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Crime Script ◽  
Crime Script Analysis

This study’s aim is to contribute to the knowledge on the steps involved in child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) crimes committed in Darkweb CSEM communities. Due to the anonymous and illegal nature of these communities, academic research is scarce. This study provides a crime script analysis of member communication data from four CSEM Darkweb fora obtained by law enforcement. For cross-validation, suspect interviews from a relevant case file were analyzed. A step-by-step description of the crime process, starting with the preparations necessary to access Darkweb CSEM fora and ending with the postactivity behaviors of exiting the crime scene and preventing detection, is given, focusing on the casts, activities, probs, and personal and contextual requirements at each stage. The findings highlight the scope of the CSEM problem, as well as the influence the Darkweb has on the way the crime is committed. Suitable targets for law enforcement intervention are discussed.

Experiences with the Use of Automation for Collecting and Recording Medical-History Data

1969 ◽  
Vol 8 (02) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mayne
Keyword(s):  
Medical History ◽  
English Language ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Video Screen ◽  
History Data ◽  
Computer Storage ◽  
Computer Controlled ◽  
Questionnaire Studies ◽  
Health Questionnaires

For the past several years, experimental studies have been undertaken at the Mayo Clinic to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing electronic data processing to handle medical information, especially the medical information which makes up a medical record. We have experimented with automated techniques for collecting and storing medical-history data, specifically with techniques for computer generation and processing of health questionnaires, for computer-controlled administration of health questionnaires, and for computer-controlled entry and retrieval of medical-history data directly by physicians in ordinary English language by use of a video-screen and light-pen computer terminal.The questionnaire studies are concerned with ways of entering into computer storage medical-history data obtained from patients without physician involvement; the video-screen studies are concerned with entry into computer storage of medical-history data obtained by physicians in their interview with the patient. The paper describes our experiences in these studies.

Child Sexual Exploitation: A Survey of Knowledge and Confidence of Healthcare Providers in Saskatchewan, Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira Nyhus‐Runtz ◽  
Payton Pederson ◽  
Adam Clay ◽  
Sarah Liskowich ◽  
Barb Beaurivage
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Child Sexual Exploitation

Collecting and viewing behaviors of child sexual exploitation material offenders

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 105133
Author(s):  
Chad M.S. Steel ◽  
Emily Newman ◽  
Suzanne O'Rourke ◽  
Ethel Quayle
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Child Sexual Exploitation

Trust and Relationship Development Among Users in Dark Web Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Networks: A Literature Review From a Psychological and Criminological Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802110572
Author(s):  
Juliane A. Kloess ◽  
Madeleine van der Bruggen
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Relationship Development ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Child Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Criminological Perspective ◽  
Dark Web

The increased potential and speed of the Internet has changed the nature of sexual crimes against children. It enables individuals with a sexual interest in children to meet, interact, and engage in illegal activities. The literature review presented here aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge and understanding of trust and relationship development among users of online networks that are dedicated to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. A systematic search using six databases was conducted to identify relevant literature from a psychological and a criminological perspective. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria that centered around the key aspects of the literature review’s research question, namely, (i) child sexual exploitation and abuse, (ii) Dark Web platforms, (iii) online forums and networks, and (iv) trust and relationship development. Our findings reveal that the engagement in interpersonal communication and interactions with like-minded others serves various functions, including validation, normalization, and support, as well as access to expert advice, information, and material. Dark Web networks are high-stake and risky environments, where users have to manage a continuous flow of threats, with information about others and their trustworthiness being limited. The establishment and maintenance of trust is of social and technical relevance, and users have to navigate a number of demands and commitments. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research.

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