Potential Victims Research Articles

BWSAR: A Single-Drone Search-and-Rescue Methodology Leveraging 5G-NR Beam Sweeping Technologies for Victim Localization

Drones integrated with 5G New Radio (NR) base stations have emerged as a promising solution for efficient victim search and localization in emergency zones where cellular networks are disrupted by natural disasters. Traditional approaches relying solely on uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) for localization face limitations due to User Equipment (UE) power constraints. To overcome this, our paper introduces BWSAR, a novel three-stage Search-and-Rescue (SAR) methodology leveraging 5G-NR beam sweeping technologies. BWSAR utilizes downlink Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) for coarse-grained direction estimation, guiding the drone towards potential victim locations. Subsequently, finer-grained beam sweeping with Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) is employed within the identified direction, enabling precise three-dimensional UE coordinate estimation. Furthermore, we propose a trajectory optimization algorithm to expedite the drone’s navigation to emergency areas. Simulation results underscore BWSAR’s efficacy in reducing positioning errors and completing SAR missions swiftly, within minutes.

INtelligent toolkit for reconnaissance, assessments and prehospital support in Perilous InciDents: a realistic experiment in prehospital environment

BackgroundFirst responders, when arriving at a disaster, need a rapid analysis of the environment in which they are going to operate, as they have to assess the conditions surrounding potential victims and neutralize any risks that may exist.The EU-funded INTREPID develops a new technology platform to assist first responders when arriving on the scene of a disaster. The project INTREPID aims to support safer operations in the form of more efficient, fast, and safe disaster site assessments. The objective of the study is to implement new technologies into rescue operations to facilitate and improve situational awareness and operation management capabilities to save lives.The focus of the study is relevant to the field of mass casualty incident management and disaster, as proper communication is extremely relevant in the management of catastrophes.MethodThe first phase of the project started with a qualitative methodology SCRUM, for catching the end user’s feedback and requirements to design the interface platform. It was developed a platform to support first responders in disasters areas improving the 3D scanning and analysis of disaster areas. This platform is based on the concepts of intelligence amplification and eXtended Reality, with hololens, drones and robots. The project continued with a β phase in which the platform with all tools integrated were tested in simulated mass casualty disasters.ResultsThese technologies are tested in different disaster scenarios: A flooded subway stop in Stockholm, an accident in the chemical industry in Marseille, and a man-made explosion in a hospital in Madrid. Through this platform, first responders can immediately initiate operations without exposing personnel to potential harmful risks without specialized equipment, with all important information shared and coordinated, among all responders, whether they are security, firefighters, or emergency health professionals.ConclusionsThe performance pilots and the questionnaire results validated the effectiveness and usability of the final version of the INTREPID platform and tools.

Sex Trafficking in Asia: A Review from Business and Organisational Perspectives

The sex trafficking industry has evolved into a persistent and globally prevalent problem, notably in Asia. It is fundamentally a business-oriented and profit-driven activity. Political, social, and economic issues influence the modus operandi of sex traffickers. The majority of existing studies on sex trafficking in Asia are studied from several viewpoints, including human rights, feminists, and migration, with the least emphasis on the traffickers’ economic and organisational issues. Therefore, this paper will discuss the root causes of sex trafficking in Asia and examine it from a business economic and organisational standpoint, by analysing extensive literature and examining primary and secondary sources. According to these sources, three important factors contribute to the crime of sex trafficking: the supply of potential victims for exploitation in the source countries, the constant demand for trafficked victims in the destination countries, and the presence of organised crime groups acting as intermediaries in the market-driven business enterprise.

Toxicity by Game Design: How Players Perceive the Influence of Game Design on Toxicity

Toxicity in online games refers to behaviors where players disrupt the gaming experience of others, leading to adverse outcomes such as depression and low self-esteem. Although scholars have identified various factors contributing to toxicity, ranging from individual motivations to team dynamics to cultural backgrounds, the role of game design has been less frequently discussed. To bridge this gap, we conducted an interview study to explore players' perceptions of how game design influences toxicity. Our research identified four game design elements that participants perceived as contributing factors to the emergency of toxicity in their experiences: team interdependency, fairness, interaction design, and privacy. These findings help us shed light on how game design unintendedly triggers toxic intentions, exposes players to vulnerability, making them potential victims, and affects player interactions which lead to toxicity. We further propose design implications that can mitigate toxicity in online games.

Large Language Models in an App: Conducting a Qualitative Synthetic Data Analysis of How Snapchat’s “My AI” Responds to Questions About Sexual Consent, Sexual Refusals, Sexual Assault, and Sexting

ABSTRACT Comprehensive sexual health education for young people often remains largely inaccessible, leaving gaps in knowledge about sexual consent, refusals, sexual assault, and sexting. Snapchat’s My AI, tailored to its users, offers accessible and potentially stigma-free responses to sexual health queries, showing promise in addressing these gaps. This study aimed to evaluate My AI’s effectiveness in handling questions related to sexual communication, assault, and sexting, and its response consistency across users. Collaborating with young adults and leveraging prior literature, our team formulated questions on sexual consent, refusals, sexual assault, and sexting submitted to My AI by 15 researchers. Each team member opened a chat with My AI in Snapchat and asked it a set of questions in the same order. We then conducted a qualitative content analysis to assess for consistency across users. My AI responses emphasized the importance of clear, honest consent and refusal communication through physical contact or direct conversation. With potential experiences of sexual assault or sexting, it advised consultation with a trusted caregiver. While My AI provided similar responses across researchers, variations were noted. My AI’s responses mirrored common sexual health education messages and the responses used language reflective of sympathy toward potential assault victims or those who were asked for sexual images. My AI’s potential to enhance accessibility to sexual health information could empower young people in making informed sexual health decisions. However, variability in responses may limit impact and comprehension, underscoring the importance of educators complementing these tools.

Criminalising survivors of modern slavery: the United Kingdom’s National Referral Mechanism as a border-making process

Abstract The United Kingdom’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying potential victims of modern slavery (slavery, servitude, forced labour or human trafficking) and ensuring that they receive adequate care. This research explores differences in referrals and outcomes of potential modern slavery victims within the NRM on the basis of individual attributes, geography and first responder. Findings are based on exploratory analysis of data on 55,000 cases released by the Home Office in spring 2022 plus data from four Freedom of Information requests. Findings confirm that there are significant differences in rates of positive outcomes between native and immigrant groups, with native populations more likely to receive positive conclusive grounds (CG) decisions. Our key contribution is in identification of the role of the first responder in negatively influencing outcomes for victims of particular forms of exploitation. We suggest the differences in outcomes may be explained by the dual role played by first responders within the immigration system in identifying victims and implementing immigration control measures. We situate this finding within a broader critical migration literature on polymorphous borders pointing to the NRM as one mechanism through which bodies are differentially excluded from territorial access and associated rights or benefits.

Toward effective protection of victims of human trafficking in mixed migration flows: referral mechanisms shaped on individual need. The Italian experience and the European perspective

An overview of emerging trends on trafficking of human beings in Italy shows not only an extremely heterogeneous phenomenon but also a complex overlapping of experiences and need of protection of every single victim. In the context of mixed migration flows, persons reaching Italy through the Central Mediterranean and the Balkan routes have often experienced or are at risk of trafficking, and they also apply for international protection upon arrival. Legal categories such as “victims,” “asylum seekers,” and “refugees” are increasingly interconnected and not exhaustive in describing individual experiences and multifaceted vulnerabilities. Against this background, ensuring early identification and assistance for victims of trafficking among asylum seekers is extremely relevant. In Italy, this has led to the development of good practices aimed at implementing the coordination between the asylum and the anti-trafficking systems. In particular, specific Guidelines for Asylum authorities have been adopted to preliminarily identify potential victims of trafficking within the asylum procedure and enable their effective access to protection measures. To comply with specific provisions of the European Trafficking Directive and its transposition into the Italian legal framework, the Guidelines have created a referral mechanism among the asylum authorities and the anti-trafficking system that is unique in the European context. For this reason, the present contribution aims at describing this good practice, its implementation and effects—also at the juridical level—and its limits. Indeed, after the adoption of the instrument, a higher recognition rate of international protection for victims of trafficking has been registered in Italy, both at the administrative and judicial levels; asylum seekers and refugees have also increased their access to the specific protection program for trafficking survivors. In general, the system has strengthened its capacity to fulfill the legal obligation of identifying victims through a multi-agency approach. On the other hand, the ability to conduct screening and preliminary identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers is still limited to the “victim model” in terms of gender (women) and form of exploitation (sexual), and to certain stages of the asylum procedure (the first instance before the asylum authorities). With reference to this latter, a comprehensive protection response at the borders is missing despite the political debate on sea and land arrivals to Italy and the recent introduction of border procedures for the assessment of asylum applications. Given the geographical and political centrality of the south-Mediterranean situation in the current migration agenda, the goal of this paper is to analyze the Italian experience on referral mechanisms among trafficking and asylum as an experience that would help to shape future European prospects. The ongoing evolution of mixed migration flows—with particular reference to secondary movement across European countries—and the revised European Directive on trafficking in persons impose the promotion of a reflection on referral mechanisms with a transnational perspective enabling effective protection and the meeting of specific human rights.

Network anomaly detection in cars: A case for time-sensitive stream filtering and policing

Connected vehicles are threatened by cyber-attacks as in-vehicle networks technologically approach (mobile) LANs with several wireless interconnects to the outside world. Malware that infiltrates a car today faces potential victims of constrained, barely shielded Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Many ECUs perform critical driving functions, which stresses the need for hardening security and resilience of in-vehicle networks in a multifaceted way. Future vehicles will comprise Ethernet backbones that differentiate services via Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). The well-known vehicular control flows will follow predefined schedules and TSN traffic classifications. In this paper, we exploit this traffic classification to build a network anomaly detection system. We show how filters and policies of TSN can identify misbehaving traffic and thereby serve as distributed guards on the data link layer. On this lowest possible layer, our approach derives a highly efficient network protection directly from TSN. We classify link layer anomalies and micro-benchmark the detection accuracy in each class. Based on a topology derived from a real-world car and its traffic definitions we evaluate the detection system in realistic macro-benchmarks based on recorded attack traces. Our results show that the detection accuracy depends on how exact the specifications of in-vehicle communication are configured. Most notably for a fully specified communication matrix, our anomaly detection remains free of false-positive alarms, which is a significant benefit for implementing automated countermeasures in future vehicles.

„Tak jak mężczyzna mężczyznę zrozumie…”. Relacje (homo)seksualne w narracjach obozowych Augusta Kowalczyka

The article critically analyzes various types of narratives of the former KL Auschwitz prisoner – August Kowalczyk – related to the issue of (homo)sexual relations in Nazi concentration camps. The juxtaposition of excerpts from his archival account, a published memoir and two oral accounts reveals a consolidating pattern, which is being used by Kowalczyk to cut himself off from the condition of being a potential victim of sexual abuse, condition of pipel and taboo – especially in the male-centered concentration camp discourse – themes: sexual barter and sexual violence. The theoretical framework, constructed with the use of Holocaust studies and gender studies’ findings, shows the possibility of finding expressions of gendered experiences in the Polish concentration camp and combatant discourse.

Can a ‘structural competency’ approach improve the safeguarding of diverse marginalised communities from exploitation?

This article examines if a ‘structural competency’ approach can help with understanding and addressing deficiencies in identifying potential exploitation victims among marginalised communities. Through a case study of multi-agency work within a unitary English local authority area, it explores how safeguarding and anti-modern slavery systems recognise exploitation cases among Roma communities. The concept of ‘structural competency’ illustrates how culture and structure can jointly create stigmatisation and inequities in safeguarding. We argue that ‘structural competency’ highlights structural inequities and institutional discrimination in anti-exploitation and safeguarding practices, in contrast to the commonly adopted approach of ‘cultural competence,’ which can exacerbate the othering and risk of exploitation for marginalised communities.

The Judicial Interpretation of Intimate Partner Homicide in China: An Empirical Analysis of Sentencing Practice Between 2016 and 2021.

In recent years, China has endeavored to implement individualized sentencing for cases of intimate partner homicide (IPH), using both legal and extralegal factors, to protect potential female victims and female defendants. This study examines the factors influencing the sentencing of IPH, utilizing a sample comprising 921 cases from 2016 to 2021 on the China Judgments Online website. The results show that: (1) the legal factor "victim's fault" is the main reason for the leniency of sentencing for female defendants compared to male defendants; and (2) intimate partner relationships between defendants and victims can have a protective effect on sentencing.

O „deonotologicznych” i „utylitarnych” decyzjach w dylematach etycznych opartych na „dylemacie wagonika” (the Trolley Problem)

Ethical dilemmas facing respondents with a choice between sacrificing the lives of a smaller number of people to save a larger number, formulated in correspondence to the famous Trolley Problem, have been of enduring interest almost since the Philippa Foot’s presentation of the canonical version of this problem. In more recent literature, and especially in publications reporting the results of empirical research, decisions of answerers declaring abstention from taking action that would result in saving a larger group of potential victims at the cost of sacrificing the lives of fewer people have come to be referred to as “deontological” choices. On the other hand, declarations of readiness to take such actions are referred to as “utilitarian” or (less frequently) “consequentialist” choices. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the shortcomings of using the aforementioned labels. The argumentation is supported by empirical material collected in the years 2020–2022 among students of the University of Łódź (N = 302). The analysis of justifications explaining the motives behind both types of decisions left by the respondents shows that in numerous cases, “deontological” decisions, that is, passive decisions, actually stemmed from premises much closer to consequentialist ethics than deontological attitudes. Similarly, active behaviour was not always the outcome of utilitarian motives. The results of our research clearly indicate that the dominant, simplified perception of these choices in the literature leads to a distorted picture of the moral attitudes of respondents, thus posing the danger of drawing false conclusions. We claim that distinguishing between attitudes adopted by respondents in dilemmas based on the Trolley Problem should not refer to ethical doctrines. Instead, judging the moral attitudes of respondents requires an analysis of the motives behind the decisions they make at the very least.

A - 84 Associations between Social Vulnerability, Adaptive Functioning, and Personal Distress in Non-Demented Older Adults

Abstract Objective Though social vulnerability is associated with cognitive decline in older adults, its correlation with socioemotional and functional changes, both common in neurogenerative diseases, is often overlooked. We sought to elucidate the interplay between these critical domains in older adults with varying degrees of cognitive compromise, including participants who presented with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), subjective cognitive decline (SCD), or were cognitively unimpaired (CU), with implications for enhancing risk detection in vulnerable populations. Method Participants (N = 97; Mage = 74.64 ± 7.42 years; Meducation = 15.76 ± 2.42 years; 74.2% female) were community-dwelling older adults, along with their informants, who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing and responded to the Social Vulnerability Scale (SVS15), an informant-reported assessment designed to identify potential victims of exploitation. A Kruskal-Wallis test determined group differences on SVS15 (CU, SCD, MCI). Spearman correlations tested relationships among SVS15 and adaptive functioning (Assessment of Functional Capacity Interview, Financial Capacity Instrument) and personal distress, a measure of the tendency to experience anxiety/distress in response to others’ suffering (Interpersonal Reactivity Index–Personal Distress). Results SVS15 scores significantly differed across diagnostic groups, H(2) = 7.060, p < 0.05, with the MCI group performing significantly worse than the CU group, H(2) = 17.703, p < 0.05. SVS15 was significantly associated with worse functional (r = 0.571, p < 0.001) and financial (r = −0.224, p = 0.027) capacity and heightened personal distress (r = 0.390, p < 0.001). Conclusions Increased social vulnerability is associated with functional impairment and personal distress in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Older adults with elevated emotional reactivity in distressing situations and lower levels of functional and financial capacity may be more susceptible to exploitation.

Bringing morality back in: Accounting as moral interlocutor in reflective equilibrium processes

The situations in which accounting is practiced raise moral concerns about customer and employee safety, community welfare, environmental sustainability, and human rights. Traditional accounting practices, such as budgets and performance measurement systems, have been widely regarded as ‘crowding out morality’ by objectifying the people affected by a firm's actions. In two North American utilities, we observed a stepwise structured process of moral reflection (which we identify as an instance of Rawls's reflective equilibrium approach), in which accounting, in the form of the risk appetite radar, helped guide executive decision making informed by moral principles. We develop two dimensions of accounting's role as ‘moral interlocutor’: enabling organizational value consensus and organizational value coherence. We identify three features of the observed accounting practice that enable it to act as moral interlocutor: subjectification rather than objectification of potential victims of the firm's actions; de-monetization, that is, considering trade-offs in terms of multiple organizational values, not only in terms of cost; and visualization of the organizations' moral principles on value priorities and how they are shaped by organizational decision making and action. The accounting visualizations did not only enable executives' reflection on rights and wrongs, but also triggered a fuller and richer moral vocabulary that was used for complex decision making involving, for instance, automation and the risk of suicides.

Impact of Debt Accumulation and Debt Restructuring on the Pension Space: A Case of Ghana

The Ghanaian economy has experienced persistent accumulation of public debt over the past decades. Debt Servicing over the years usually causes distress to the domestic economy whilst several external interventions seem to be beneficial only for a short while due to controversial fiscal and monetary policy decisions of successive governments. The recent financial sector clean-up followed by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war have exacerbated the country’s debt burden which has culminated in a domestic debt restructuring programme aimed at securing an IMF bailout. Through thematic analysis, this research explored the debates and interviews organised by some selected Ghanaian TV stations with respect to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme; with a research objective that sought to unravel the impact of the DDEP on stakeholders of the pensions space. The denouement of the study established four main themes by which the impacts were observed: namely, economic impact, social impact, psychological or emotional impact and reputational impact. The enormity of the impact presupposes going forward, government must perform an in-depth sensitivity analysis on the pensions space for prudent management of potential victims and repercussions. Additionally, with the exemption of pension fund, same will be negatively affected, how much more the inclusion of pensioners who are a vulnerable section of society, and institutional bondholders with whom pension schemes have invested funds.

Implementation of the Integrated Justice System as an Effort to Prevent Sexual Violence against Children: A Case Study in Indonesia

Sexual violence against children is a serious problem that threatens the safety and well-being of the younger generation. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the integrated justice system as an effort to prevent sexual violence against children in Indonesia. The integrated justice system integrates various institutions, including the police, prosecutor's office, courts, and child protection services, to ensure comprehensive protection for children as potential victims. This study uses a case study approach with a focus on policy implementation at the national and regional levels, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of collaboration between institutions in preventing sexual violence against children. The results show that although the integrated justice system has been well designed, there are still challenges in coordination between institutions, policy understanding at the local level, and limited resources that affect the effectiveness of prevention. The recommendations of this study include strengthening the capacity of related institutions, increasing coordination between institutions, and wider socialization about the importance of protecting children from sexual violence. Thus, it is hoped that the implementation of an integrated justice system can be an effective solution in preventing sexual violence against children in Indonesia.

Part III - Navigating an Encounter with a Trafficked Person in the Dermatology Clinic

Patients experiencing or having experienced trafficking frequently interact with the healthcare system, highlighting the need for healthcare providers to be equipped with the appropriate tools to serve these patients effectively. The third part of this series focuses on navigating encounters with trafficked persons within the dermatology clinic, emphasizing the importance of trauma-informed, patient-centered care. We review the barriers trafficked patients face and mechanisms to overcome these, the importance of comprehensive needs assessments, and the implementation of effective healthcare protocols. Additionally, we review the role of dermatologists in mandatory reporting and the use of appropriate ICD-10 codes for documenting a potential trafficking victim encounter in the electronic medical record. We conclude with recommendations for specialized training, emphasizing the critical role dermatologists play in identifying and supporting trafficked patients within the healthcare system.

ShouldAR: Detecting Shoulder Surfing Attacks Using Multimodal Eye Tracking and Augmented Reality

Shoulder surfing attacks (SSAs) are a type of observation attack designed to illicitly gather sensitive data from "over the shoulder" of victims. This attack can be directed at mobile devices, desktop screens, Personal Identification Number (PIN) pads at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), or written text. Existing solutions are generally focused on authentication techniques (e.g., logins) and are limited to specific attack scenarios (e.g., mobile devices or PIN Pads). We present ShotjldAR, a mobile and usable system to detect SSAs using multimodal eye gaze information (i.e., from both the potential attacker and victim). ShouldAR uses an augmented reality headset as a platform to incorporate user eye gaze tracking, rear-facing image collection and eye gaze analysis, and user notification of potential attacks. In a 24-participant study, we show that the prototype is capable of detecting 87.28% of SSAs against both physical and digital targets, a two-fold improvement on the baseline solution using a rear-facing mirror, a widely used solution to the SSA problem. The ShouldAR approach provides an AR-based, active SSA defense that applies to both digital and physical information entry in sensitive environments.

Characteristic features of robberies against residential property committed by organised groups in rural areas

The relevance of the subject under study lies in the fact that under martial law, the problem of robberies against citizens’ homes is exacerbated, specifically, their danger increases due to the greater probability of members of an organised criminal group having firearms than in peacetime. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of robberies against residential premises in rural areas committed by organised groups, to establish the factors which influence the choice of the victim of a future attack by the perpetrators, and to identify preventive measures to reduce the commission of such crimes. To address these issues, the study employed a set of methods of scientific cognition: systemic-structural, comparative, statistical, and systemic. The study found that a characteristic feature of such attacks is that they are committed by a group consisting mainly of fellow villagers with internally stable, long-term, trusting relationships, with a willingness to systematically commit violent crimes against individuals. They are characterised by a hierarchy and preparation for robberies in rural areas. It was established that during preparation for a robbery, to obtain the necessary information, offenders often study the routes of the village, find out information about its inhabitants, and select a victim. They can even speak directly to the potential victim and/or their neighbours. Therefore, interviewing villagers during the investigation of such a criminal offence is a significant step in identifying the perpetrators. The study identified factors that influence the commission of robberies in rural areas (presence of valuable property of the victim; remoteness of their residence, absence of neighbours; planned power outages, physically vulnerable person, etc.). To commit attacks on people’s homes in rural areas, attackers choose several villages in relatively familiar areas, which may be located in one region or in another region with which they border. It was noted that this complicates the work of law enforcement agencies in investigating this type of crime. The practical value of this study lies in the consideration by law enforcement officers of the theoretical results of this study regarding the impact on the choice of victims by criminals and the established characteristics inherent in such robberies

Health Care Needs of the Sex Trafficking Patient

Caring for and identifying a victim of sex trafficking can be very challenging at times. Sex trafficking victims often don't see themselves as victims and often times are victimized by a boyfriend or relative. These patients can be non-compliant with treatments and difficult to provide follow up care. Often times the only time they are receiving medical care is when they are in the emergency department as many of these patients do not seek routine medical care through a family practioner. Forensic nurses are are able to identify potential sex trafficking victims and advocate them for their medical needs.