Understanding Online Child Sexual Abuse

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes covering online child sexual abuse, offenders' typologies, and grooming.

Paraphilia

A condition characterized by abnormal sexual desires, typically involving extreme or dangerous activities.

Nepiophilia

Sexual attraction to infants or very young children.

Paedophilia

Sexual attraction to prepubescent children.

Hebephilia

Sexual attraction to pubescent children.

Teleiophilia

Sexual attraction to sexually mature adults.

Grooming

The deceptive process used by sexual abusers to gain a victim's trust and facilitate sexual abuse.

Minor Attracted Person (MAP)

A less stigmatizing term for individuals attracted to minors, aimed at avoiding conflation with criminal behavior.

Child Sexual Exploitative Material (CSEM)

Illegal images depicting children in sexual contexts, often referred to as child pornography.

Grooming Behaviors

Tactics used by abusers to build trust with minors while introducing them to sexual content.

Online Grooming

The process of building rapport with children online for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Cynical Offenders

Offenders who often know their victims face-to-face and may continue interactions both online and offline.

Affection-focused Offenders

Offenders who build relationships primarily based on emotional connections before sexual interactions.

Sex-focused Offenders

Offenders who rapidly transition from online interactions to offline sexual activities.

Contact-driven Offenders

Offenders who attempt or successfully meet their victims in person.

Fantasy-driven Offenders

Offenders who engage in online sexual activities without the intent to meet the victim in person.

Cybersex-only Offenders

Offenders who engage in sexual online interactions but do not attempt to meet victims in person.

Child Abuse Image Database (CAID)

A secure database maintaining records of illegal images of children compiled by law enforcement.

Ethical Issues in Measurement

Considerations related to the morality of quantifying and treating deviant sexual interests.

National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

An organization that tracks reports of missing children and child exploitation, assisting law enforcement.

Sexual Offences Act 2003

A UK law defining sexual offences and responsibilities regarding consent and age of consent.

Online Safety Act 2024

A proposed legislation addressing online safety issues, particularly related to children and sexual content.

Cognitive Distortions

Erroneous or misperceived thoughts that can influence sexual offenders' behavior and perspectives.

Reciprocal Relationships

Relationships where both parties engage and invest equally; in the context of grooming, may involve victim cooperation.

Unilateral Relationships

Relationships where one party exerts control, often involving manipulation or coercion of the victim.

Maintenance Strategies

Methods used by offenders after abuse to continue communication or relationships with victims.

Age Gap Offenders

Offenders whose age significantly exceeds that of their victims, often referred to in discussions of online CSA.

Grooming Tactics

Methods employed by abusers to desensitize and manipulate victims towards sexual exploitation.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to see events as having been predictable after they have already occurred.

Parental Figure Dynamics

The inappropriate role reversal where an adult presents themselves as a parental authority to the child.

Sexual Consent

The voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity, which can be complicated by age differences.

Exclusivity in Relationships

A stage in the grooming process where the offender seeks to establish a unique bond with the victim.

Child Sexual Exploitation

Abuse involving the manipulation of a child for sexual purposes, often linked to grooming behaviors.