Abstract

Objective: This descriptive study focused on cyber-pedocriminality, a term chosen to describe the phenomenon of child pornography on the internet. Two specific questions were addressed: whether cyber-pedocriminals present with a specific sociodemographic or psychological profile and what type of contents can be found in the criminal material. Method: A group of 36 offenders were referred to the Geneva Institute of Legal Medicine to undergo court-ordered psychiatric testing. Each participant was clinically evaluated by a psychiatrist according to DSM IV-TR classification and assessed using the Internet Addiction Scale and the Sexual Compulsivity Scale. The participants' criminal and medical records were evaluated, and the pornographic material discovered in their homes analyzed. Results: The participants did not display specific sociodemographic characteristics. The majority of offenders exhibited personality disorders of the dependent- and avoidant-type with a marked tendency towards sexual and internet addictions. Few of the participants had any prior criminal records involving sexual behavior with children, but some offenders had questionable social behavior, suggesting the possibility of crimes that had remained hidden. The child pornography found in the possession of the offenders was both voluminous and criminal in nature. Conclusion: The arrested cyber-pedocriminals may possess key characteristics compatible with the specific modalities of internet use. The issue concerning the relationship, in this category of offenders, between cyber-pedocriminality and crimes involving physical contact remains complex and unclear. Practice implications: The type of material confiscated from the offenders justifies the importance given to national and international operations carried out by law enforcement agencies. The study of cyber-pedocriminality is important to assess the gravity of the violent acts perpetrated against children in reality, which often remain unknown to the justice system.

Citation

Niveau, G. (2010). Cyber-Pedocriminality: Characteristics of a Sample of Internet Child Pornography Offenders. Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, 34(8), 570-575. Retrieved August 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/108069/.

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Keywords

• Addictive Behavior
• Child Welfare
• computer mediated communication
• Crime
• Criminals
• Foreign Countries
• internet
• Measures (Individuals)
• Personality Problems
• Pornography
• Psychological Patterns
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexuality
• Social Behavior
• Socioeconomic Influences