There are roughly 400 million internet users in India and while the rapid spread of information and communication technologies has created a wealth of opportunities, it has also brought with itself a new wave of criminality. There is no agreed definition of the term Internet Offending, and scholars therefore use it to describe a wide range of internet-facilitated offences. Online child exploitation is a serious problem and one that is difficult to detect and monitor as a result very few cases are reported and even fewer make it to the courts. There are several ways in which the internet can be misused by individuals with a deviant sexual interest in children, for instance exchanging child pornography and engaging in inappropriate sexual communication. The interaction and exchange of information between such individuals may can take place through different computer-mediated communication platforms, such as chat rooms, discussion boards, or e-mail, and now more recently social networking sites.
The term ‘‘grooming’’ is generally used to describe the offenders’ actions during the preparatory stages of sexual abuse —“the situation whereby a potential offender will set up opportunities to abuse by gaining the trust of the child in order to prepare them for abuse’’. This can take place directly or via computer-mediated communication. The general dynamics of an interaction at the beginning maybe of a subtle nature, and a sexual motive may not immediately apparent, however the offender’s motivation may change over the course of an interaction. Therefore, the grooming process is possibly best thought of as a reoccurring concept associated with a certain set of strategies and behaviours offenders may employ and engage in during different stages of an interaction.
The activity of sexual grooming is not new, but that the internet provides new and distinct opportunities for the sexual exploitation of children, of which grooming is frequently a prerequisite. Rachel O’Connell has described the process of cyber exploitation by highlighting six main stages.
In Stage 1, the offenders get to know the child. Pictures might get exchanged for the offender to ensure that they are conversing with a child and that this child meets their preference criteria. Stage 2 is an extension of the friendship stage to the relationship stage. It involves discussing the child’s school and home life, and eventually establishing a relationship. Stage 3 is risk-assessment where the offender may assess the location and other people’s usage of the computer for likelihood of detection. Stage 4 is the exclusivity stage where the offender will try to reinforce the idea of complete trust. This is done by making the minor feel special and acting like their “best friend”.
This stage also sees gradual introduction of sexual topics. If the minor conveys discomfort, the offender may then seek forgiveness followed by expressing profound regret only to re-establish mutual trust and respect. In Stage 5 the offender indulges sexual conversation with the minor, which could range from mild suggestions to explicit descriptions. Stage 6 is the concluding stage where the focus is on minimising the risk of disclosure by praising and encouraging the minor.
In most cases the offender has no interest in repeat or continued contact with the victim and thus, simply abandons the interaction. However, the offender may also re-initiate contact after a long time by using different strategies — coercion, threats or blackmail. For children growing in today’s world there is hardly a distinction between the “online” and “offline” world. It is important for parents, teachers and guardians to keep up with the dangers that come with technology and safeguard children to minimise the risks of online sexual exploitation. UNICEF released its latest report on Child Online Protection in India in September. You can find more information at http://unicef.in/Uploads/Publications/Resources/pub_doc115.pdf
The author is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, and doctoral researcher at the Anglia Ruskin University