Child Sexual Abuse Cases Research Articles

The Investigation of Online Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Sweden

The Investigation of Online Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Sweden

Analisis Pertimbangan Majelis Hakim Atas Pelaksanaan Restitusi Terhadap Pemenuhan Hak Anak Korban Tindak Pidanan Pencabulan

In this study, the specific case related to the implementation of restitution in a child sexual abuse case is addressed in Decision Number: 114/Pid.Sus/2023/PN Kot Agung, which has become final and legally binding (Inkracht). The judge did not fully grant the restitution request submitted by the child victim of sexual abuse in the decision. The theories utilized in this research are the Theory of Judicial Consideration and the Theory of Legal Utility.. This research is normative or doctrinal legal research. The approach methods used in this study are analytical, statutory, and case approaches. The types and sources of legal materials utilized involve literature review, collecting secondary data consisting of primary legal materials, secondary legal materials, and tertiary legal materials. The data analysis in this legal research employs qualitative data analysis.The research findings indicate that the judge's consideration in decisions regarding restitution requests submitted by victims of sexual abuse, through the public prosecutor's indictment in Decision Number 114/Pid.Sus/2023/PN Kot Agung, is based on a thorough evaluation of the evidence presented, the condition of the victim, and the offender's ability to pay restitution. Besides justice in judicial considerations, the principle of legal utility in the judge's assessment of restitution plays a crucial role in ensuring that legal decisions are not only fair but also practically beneficial to the victim. Furthermore, the ideal concept for implementing restitution as a means of fulfilling rights and providing benefits for child victims of sexual abuse should include several essential elements: comprehensive and clear regulations, consistent law enforcement, easy access for victims, transparency and accountability, and prevention and rehabilitation. This ideal concept aims to offer better protection and justice for crime victims and ensure that offenders are held accountable for the impact of their actions

Anogenital Lesions in Children: A Critical Alert for Pediatricians.

A 7-y-old girl presented to the pediatric department with a two-week history of a skin lesion in the anogenital region. She appeared well-nourished, quiet, afebrile; vitals and her systemic examination was normal. Examination revealed a greyish white wart-like perianal lesion, unusual for her age. Further history revealed the child had become withdrawn, avoiding play recently, and had oral and vaginal ulcers a month earlier without treatment. These findings raised suspicion of sexual abuse. Investigations confirmed positive VDRL (1:64 titres), positive TPHA, and negative results for her parents' TPHA and HIV. A medicolegal case was registered, involving child welfare services and police. A psychiatrist diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and recommended counselling. Treatment with a single dose of intramuscular Benzathine penicillin led to improvement, with VDRL titres decreasing to 1:8 and complete resolution of the lesion after 3 months. Pediatricians are pivotal in identifying and managing child sexual abuse cases promptly.

ASPECTOS ORAIS DO ABUSO SEXUAL INFANTIL E CONDUTA DO CIRURGIÃO DENTISTA: REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

The study presents a literature review, the aim of which was to point out the main characteristics for detecting cases of child sexual abuse from the point of view of dentistry, as well as to highlight the importance of the dental surgeon in identifying and reporting cases of suspected child maltreatment and/or abuse. The bibliographic research was carried out in different databases, such as SciELO, Bireme, LILACS and PubMed, selecting studies that addressed the descriptors provided by the DECS database: children, child sexual abuse and dentistry, published between 2015 and 2023. To prepare the literature review, 40 articles were found. However, national and international articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for the expanded abstract. The literature shows the importance of identifying child mistreatment and abuse in the dental field, listing the main manifestations of injuries in the head and neck region. This research is linked to increasing dental surgeons’ knowledge of child violence, so that professionals are better able to recognize the signs of abuse or neglect in children, which is crucial for identifying cases of violence and taking the necessary measures. Therefore, this paper aims to point out the main characteristics of child sexual abuse, as well as what the dental surgeon’s conduct should be when faced with this occurrence.

"Everything Is Changing, We Need to Adapt": Between Tradition and Modernity-Educators Coping with Child Sexual Abuse.

Socio-cultural contexts are formative to how teachers understand, conceptualize, and act when contending with child sexual abuse (CSA) cases among their students. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the experiences of Druze Arab teachers in Israel coping with cases of CSA among their students and the meaning they attribute to CSA in the context of socio-cultural change. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 female Druze elementary school teachers. All of the participants taught in schools located in Druze villages, where the children of Druze families comprise the majority of the student body. The analysis used a thematic approach. The analysis revealed that a transition between tradition and modernity in the Druze socio-cultural group was the central conceptual framework through which the teachers' narratives regarding CSA emerged. As an emblem of modernity, increasing openness around sexual topics was perceived as simultaneously favorable and threatening to both the welfare of children and the well-being of the community. Coping with CSA was viewed as a negotiation between closed (traditional) and open (modern) society, as well as silence and dialogue regarding CSA. This study highlights the importance of preventing teachers' cultural biases from affecting their contributions to CSA interventions, as well as how religion can be a source of strength when confronting CSA. Implications for policy and developing bottom-up, culturally sensitive training, practice, and interventions are discussed.

Finding justice? Recommendations beyond prosecution in 500 cases of child sexual abuse.

Finding justice? Recommendations beyond prosecution in 500 cases of child sexual abuse.

Knowledge and Perceptions on Child Sexual Abuse: A Comparative Study Between Children and Parents in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Owing to the increasing violence against children's rights, particularly in the cases of child sexual abuse (CSA), this study aimed at assessing the knowledge and perception of children and parents in Morogoro municipality. The Urie Bronfenbrenner Ecological system theory was used to guide the study. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to one hundred eighty-eight (188) research subjects, through face-to-face interviews. The findings from this study indicate that 114 (74.5%) of the 153 children interviewed had heard about CSA compared to 32 (91.4%) of the 35 parents who had heard about CSA. The knowledge about CSA, was significantly higher among parents compared to children (p=0.0302). The interviewed children reported having known CSA through hearing at school (36.6%), hearing from neighbours (24.8) and experiencing cases of CSA at home (13.1%). Further, parents noted that radio and Television were dependable source of information on CSA. On the other hand, children reported to rely mainly on information received at schools and sometimes from neighbours. It was further observed that mothers played more significant role of passing knowledge to their children about CSA than fathers, the observation which was also statistically significant (p=0.0101). Most parents considered forced sexual intercourse (97.1%) with perpetrators and anal penetration (82.9%) to be the most evidence of CSA in children. The study has found that parents believe more in teachers and community members to play a key role in ending CSA than themselves. It is therefore recommended to conduct more in-depth analysis to identify key factors contributing to the prevalence of CSA in Morogoro municipality which would help to devise appropriate and effective intervention strategies to end CSA

Confidence, Training, and Barriers for Canadian Law Enforcement in Cases of Luring, Sexual Abuse, and Child Sexual Abuse Imagery

The exponential growth of Internet access has generated new platforms for child sexual abuse. The Internet serves as a platform for luring children to engage in sexual activity and also for accessing, distributing or producing sexually explicit material featuring children (“child sexual abuse imagery” (CSAI)). Both types of offenses have been criminalized in various jurisdictions around the world, compelling law enforcement professionals to detect, identify, investigate, and refer such offenses for prosecution. This study was conducted to understand law enforcement training, confidence, and barriers to responding to three categories of criminal activity involving the online sexual exploitation of children: (1) luring, (2) creation and distribution of CSAI, and (3) sexual abuse. This study surveyed two separate police units responsible for investigating sex crimes and/or child abuse in two large Canadian cities. More participants reported encountering a suspected or confirmed case of child sexual abuse within the last year than a case of luring or CSAI (57%, 45%, and 35%, respectively). Participants indicated they had received more formal training on investigating sexual abuse than luring or CSAI and felt less confident in their ability to investigate crimes involving technology and online platforms than other types of investigations. Participants were also more likely to encounter barriers relating to the “soft skills” of working with youth and their families relative to the “hard skills” of investigating criminal activity. Due to the exponential growth of online sexual abuse and the need for nimble and technologically savvy investigative responses, law enforcement should receive more formal training in all areas of online child sexual exploitation, including the criminal offenses of luring and CSAI.

Meta-Analysis of the NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol for Child Sexual Abuse Cases

Abstract Background: Forensic interviews are pivotal to the investigation of child sexual abuse cases. Following best practice, evidence-based guidelines when conducting such interviews is essential in obtaining a credible and reliable testimony. The investigative interview protocol developed by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) incorporates these guidelines into a structured interview procedure. An integral part of the NICHD protocol is to promote open-ended, invitational interviewer prompts. The current research was conducted to observe the impact of the NICHD Protocol in encouraging invitational prompts and discouraging suggestive prompts when compared to non-protocol interviews. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of the NICHD protocol was conducted, including 11 studies selected following inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were determined through the PICO framework. The included literature were experimental studies comparing the NICHD protocol with other structured or unstructured interview methods in interviews conducted with children in suspected cases of child sexual abuse (CSA), with a focus on assessing the quality of investigation using interviewer prompts as a dependent measure. Electronic online databases and Registers/websites including PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Google Scholar, OSF, Dissertation Abstracts International, and ProQuest Dissertations and These were searched for both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature. The analysis used a random effect model that computed separate weighted mean of the effect sizes shown in independent studies for prompts namely: Directives, Option-posing, Suggestions, and Invitations. Results: Results of the analysis indicated that overall, interviews with the NICHD protocol had less directives (g= -0.9106), option-posing (-0.9178) and suggestive prompts (g= -0.5516), and more invitational (g= 1.9859) prompts than non-protocol interviews. Conclusion: These results corroborate with the findings of previous studies. However, these findings should be considered with caution due to the detection of high levels of heterogeneity. Keywords: Eyewitness testimony, Investigative interviewing, Meta-analyses, Child sexual abuse, NICHD protocol, Interviewer prompt

Measuring teacher's capabilities: Development of the CSA-SE scale for assessing teachers' self-efficacy in addressing suspected cases of child sexual abuse

Measuring teacher's capabilities: Development of the CSA-SE scale for assessing teachers' self-efficacy in addressing suspected cases of child sexual abuse

Overview of Parents' Behavior in Providing Sexual Education to Children aged 7-11 Years in the Kuranji Health Center Working Area, Padang City

Background: Cases of child sexual abuse are on the rise worldwide. Parents are the primary source of socialization and play an important role in shaping children's attitudes and practices related to sexuality. Objective: To determine the description of parental behavior in providing sexual education to children aged 7-11 years. Methods: This study is a descriptive study. The population in the study were all parents who have children aged 7-11 years. The research was conducted in August-December 2023. The research sample amounted to 379 people, with purposive sampling technique. The research instrument used a questionnaire that included knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors. Data were analyzed using SPSS software to display frequency distribution. Results: Parents' knowledge is lacking (52.5%), parents' attitudes are not supportive (50.7%), parents with negative perceptions (50.4%), parents' trust is not good (56.5%), and parents' behavior is not good (51.5%). Conclusion: Most parents' behavior is not good in providing sexual education to children. Education and counseling programs are needed for parents to improve their knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors related to children's sexual education.

Factors influencing adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual abuse

BackgroundAdult appraisals of their childhood sexual experiences as abusive are associated with increased risk for long-term psychological problems. Factors that underlie whether adults appraise their childhood sexual experiences as abusive remain unknown. ObjectiveTo determine factors associated with adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual abuse. Participants and settingParticipants were 1196 adults ages 19–41 (M = 29.23, SD = 3.84) with documented cases of childhood maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect) during the years 1967–1971 and demographically matched controls who were followed-up and interviewed in adulthood. MethodsUsing a prospective cohort design, participants were asked to recall whether they had any sexual experiences in childhood, and if so, the frequency of abuse, age at the onset of abuse, relationship to perpetrator, and whether they appraised the experiences as sexually abusive. ResultsOver half of the sample (52%) reported childhood sexual experiences, yet only 44% considered those experiences sexually abusive. Participants with documented cases of child sexual abuse and neglect were more likely to appraise their childhood sexual experiences as abusive compared to controls. Participants who reported more severe abuse, more frequent abuse, younger age at the onset of abuse, and intrafamilial and both intra- and extrafamilial abuse (vs. extrafamilial abuse) were more likely to consider their experiences abusive. Compared to males and Black participants, females and White participants were more likely to appraise their experiences as abusive. ConclusionsUnderstanding factors that determine adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual experiences as abusive can inform clinical interventions for maltreated populations.

"Today, I Say It's Mine!": Professional Identity Construction among Jewish and Arab School Counselors Coping with CSA Disclosure in Israel.

School counselors play a crucial role in preventing, disclosing, and intervening in child sexual abuse cases (CSA) and in maintaining safe and protected school environments. However, research on their experiences coping with CSA remains limited. The purpose of the present study was to describe and analyze the coping experiences of Israeli Jewish and Arab school counselors with CSA disclosure, particularly the consequences for their processes of professional identity construction (the ongoing process through which they develop and refine their sense of self in their profession). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Israeli Jewish and Arab school counselors working in elementary schools (grades 1-6) with significant experience in coping with CSA. Two themes surfaced, reflecting the counselors' professional identity construction: (1) Counselors' professional identity transformation following encounters with CSA among their students; (2) Integrating professional knowledge, attitudes, and engagement behaviors into professional identity. The findings describe a trajectory of transformation and professional development among the counselors, beginning with defining and refining their professional roles and followed by the integration of professional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors into their professional routines. Arab counselors also highlighted specific sociocultural challenges within this process, relating to the gap between cultural values and role expectations. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Law's drawing line: Legal discourse of consent in child sexual abuse cases in Japan

AbstractThis article examines Japan's age of consent law by delving into court judgements, focusing on unravelling the nuances of how the sexual autonomy of children is interpreted. The study reveals a contradictory stance of the court towards child victim's maturity and capacity, indicating that the legal discourse around a child's autonomy is easily manipulated and framed. It further exposes the susceptibility of children's sexual autonomy to the structural moral values associated with patriarchal gender relations and age. By shaping the contours of consent, law draws a line—delineating punishable acts from consensual sexual activity. While the legal reforms aimed at stricter regulations surrounding child sexual abuse, including raising the age of consent, are narrowing the space for recognizing adolescents' sexual autonomy, this article contends that reforming age consent laws must strike a delicate balance between preventing potential harms and avoiding undue interference with adolescents' sexual autonomy.

Patterns of child and adolescent sexual abuse in the era of COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which first broke out in Wuhan, China in December 2019 undoubtedly created a novel health challenge for countries around the world. The federal and some state governments in Nigeria in a bid to contain the spread of the virus and manage a looming health emergency pronounced lockdown measures at different times in 2020. The lockdown which affected the routine activities of citizens forced families and friends to stay indoors while it lasted. This was in compliance with the movement restriction order of the government which empowered law enforcement agencies to prosecute violators. While health authorities and other stakeholders made concerted efforts to control the coronavirus disease, some deviants and criminals exploited the situation to commit heinous crimes. The Nigerian media reported several cases of child and adolescent sexual abuse; including incest during the lockdown. This study used narrative review to examine the patterns of child and adolescent sexual abuse (CASA) during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria. It found that CASA is often hidden, and can occurred online. It also revealed that CASA is perpetrated often by males as well as close relatives and have mainly females as victims. Furthermore, it found that perpetrators used manipulation, coercion and threats to facilitate the abuse. The study recommends strategies that may assist in forestalling the sexual exploitation of minors and young people during lockdowns and how to assist victims who may suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among other pains.

Digital image characteristics for enhanced interpretation in child sexual violence case examinations

BACKGROUND Photography is an integrated part of standard forensic examination procedures, acting as a guide and the evidence itself. Despite its potential, no research has yet explored the use of 35mm format cameras (digital single-lens reflex [DSLR]) in sexual violence cases. This study aimed to assess the impact of DSLR camera image characteristics on the interpretation of child sexual abuse cases. METHODS This cross-sectional study used 55 digital photos selected through a convenience sampling. The samples were interpreted by two independent forensic experts who were not affiliated with this research and were compared with the results of the doctor’s examination from the medical records. RESULTS The metadata extraction results (EXIF data) indicated that all characteristic values had an abnormal distribution. The digital photos’ characteristics were associated with the use of a 50mm focal length (p = 0.011). A range of lens opening values (aperture = f7.1–f8.0), shutter speed (1/100–1/125 sec), and sensor sensitivity (ISO = 800–1600) were not associated with the experts’ interpretation conformity. Additionally, the conformity index for the overall interpretation by the two forensic experts differed in each area. CONCLUSIONS Focal length of 50mm was significantly related to interpretation conformity. The exposure triangle settings, including aperture (f7.1–f8.0), shutter speed (1/100–1/125 sec), and ISO (800–1600), can serve as fundamental guidelines for digital camera settings in examining child sexual violence cases.

Historical child sexual abuse cases reported to the police by Indigenous adults in a northern Canadian territory: an exploration of factors affecting the likelihood of charges and convictions

ABSTRACT The current research examined historical child sexual abuse files from a northern Canadian police force, looking at factors pertaining to the offence, the complainant and the suspect, in an area with a large Indigenous population. The dataset analysed represented all reported cases (N = 229) of historical child sexual abuse by Indigenous complainants in the database of the participating force from 2005 to 2019. Analysis of all cases showed charges were more likely in cases with multiple complainants, female complainants and complainants 11–14 years old at the time of the abuse. For cases where charges were laid (n = 135), convictions were slightly more likely in cases with less serious offences. For trial cases (n = 75), multiple complainants, the relationship of suspect to complainant, age of suspect and age difference between complainant and suspect were significantly associated with trial outcome. Ethnicity of suspects showed no relationship to charges or convictions. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This research demonstrates the importance of support for all victims of historical child sexual abuse when navigating the difficult process of disclosing abuse and engaging the criminal justice process. In particular, Indigenous men may need increased access to victim services, given the finding that they are less likely to see charges and convictions at trial for their cases. Continued public education encouraging reporting of child sexual abuse, even for victims of historical crimes, is needed as cases with long delays between offence and report are just as likely to result in charges and convictions as cases with less delay.

Law enforcement perceptions of job stress and barriers to supportive resources when working child sexual abuse cases in the southern United States

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to examine law enforcement officers' perspectives on job stress and barriers to supportive resources when working child sexual abuse cases in a large southern state. It is well documented in the literature that professionals who work in healthcare, emergency services and law enforcement face tremendous amounts of stress and consequences to their physical and mental health. Little research has been done to examine how child sexual abuse investigations impact law enforcement, and how these specialized officers perceive access to supportive resources.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study was part of a larger quantitative study and included 20 law enforcement officers who participated in anonymous, semi-structured phone interviews.FindingsFindings included (1) child sexual abuse cases are difficult, specialized and disturbing (2) barriers to supportive resources include law enforcement culture, the stigma of asking for help, awareness and accessibility of resources and leadership as gatekeeper to the resources and (3) officers perceive both formal and informal resources to be helpful and at best should be proactively available to all officers in the state. A model of the findings was developed to illustrate the implications for practitioners and scholars.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was not without weaknesses, specifically the small number of participants, volunteer sampling does not represent the general population and the sampling technique means some demographics may have been missed by researchers.Practical implicationsThis study adds to the literature on law enforcement mental health, occupational health and mental health resources. It confirms established research in the literature and provides insight into officer perspectives about barriers that prevent access to informal and formal supports that could improve their emotional well-being.Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind, to our knowledge, that asks detectives and investigators of child abuse cases about mental health resources. These law enforcement officers are at high-risk for traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and burnout due to the specialized cases they investigate.

CSA-Forecaster: Stacked Model for Forecasting Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse is a pervasive and distressing issue that poses serious threats to the well-being and development of children. Early identification and prevention of such incidents are crucial for ensuring child safety and protection. In this study, we investigate the application of stacked machine learning models for the forecasting of child sexual abuse cases. Data on child sexual abuse incidents were gathered from StatBank Denmark and used in this analysis. The geographical coordinates of the municipalities were incorporated as part of the descriptive analysis to examine the distribution and prevalence of child abuse cases. Our approach incorporates a stacked ensemble framework that combines the XGBoost, LSTM, and Random Forest algorithms. By leveraging the strength of individual models and capturing diverse patterns in the data, the stacked model aims to improve prediction performance. Our experimental results demonstrate that the CSA-Forecaster model outperforms individual models in forecasting child sexual abuse incidents. The proposed model achieved an RMSE of 0.094, MAE of 0.0712, MAPE of 0.1557, and R2 of 0.8028, indicating robust performance. The outcomes of this research have significant repercussions for the creation of proactive interventions and support systems. Child protection agencies and experts might be equipped to more effectively allocate resources and potentially prevent future abuse instances by employing machine learning models.

Angels Wear White: The Expression of Social Symptoms in Feminist Perspective

Angels Wear White starts with a child sexual abuse case, presenting the real social situations of females with different identities as the plot unfolds. Female characters in the film, the heroine, Mia, Wen, and Lily, Wen’s mother, Xin, and the allegorical figure of Monroe with rich connotations shed light on women’s lowliness and helplessness in patriarchy. This article will analyze this movie from critical feminist theory, revealing the tough situation that women face under discipline, oppression, and the rise of rebel consciousness after being hurt.