Abstract
Protection of children against sexual exploitation, particularly against exploitation in cyberspace, constitutes one of the most burning issues of the modern world. The Internet is frequently used as the beginning of the road to sexually exploiting a child, and as way of earning the child’s trust and gaining physical access to them. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation resulting from it brought with them substantial threats, also in this area, whose effects will be long-term. What was observed during the pandemic was not only an increase in online traffic related to the distribution of child pornography, but also a definite increase in behaviours that may be classified as grooming. It is sometimes considered that grooming is the basic method leading to child sexual exploitation, or even its immanent feature. Relatedly, what becomes an important issue is an analysis of legal regulations that concern grooming in cyberspace, and an attempt to answer the question whether the scope and level of protection provided to children by Polish criminal law are sufficient.
Highlights
The emergence of global ICT networks created a completely new environment – a dynamic, rapidly evolving and constantly changing space whose scale and degree of development cannot even be estimated.4 The Internet – a global network used in mid-2020 by 62% of the world population and over 87% of the European popu lation5 – is an element of that powerful structure.Cyberspace makes a whole range of activities possible, whose purpose is to make its users’ lives easier
The COVID-19 pandemic, or more precisely, measures taken to curb its spread ing had a significant influence on an increase in crime related to child sexual exploitation in cyberspace
It was a result of, among other things, closing schools and moving education to the virtual environment; prolonging the time that children spent online for entertainment, social and educational purposes; prolonging the time spent at home due to lockdown; restricting access to support provided by people and organisations offering childcare that frequently play a key role in detecting and reporting cases of child sexual exploitation
Summary
The emergence of global ICT networks created a completely new environment – a dynamic, rapidly evolving and constantly changing space whose scale and degree of development cannot even be estimated. The Internet – a global network used in mid-2020 by 62% of the world population and over 87% of the European popu lation5 – is an element of that powerful structure. The COVID-19 pandemic, or more precisely, measures taken to curb its spread ing had a significant influence on an increase in crime related to child sexual exploitation in cyberspace It was a result of, among other things, closing schools and moving education to the virtual environment; prolonging the time that children spent online for entertainment, social and educational purposes; prolonging the time spent at home due to lockdown; restricting access to support provided by people and organisations offering childcare that frequently play a key role in detecting and reporting cases of child sexual exploitation.. Online grooming seems even more sinister, and law provide for particular protection against such activity
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