New study hits internet pedophile fears

A University of New Hampshire study finds internet pedophile threats exaggerated and inaccurately assessed.  Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor, and Kimberly J. Mitchell instead see (pdf) most predators focusing on teens, rather than preteenaged children, and taking the time to build up a relationship, rather than ambushing targets.  From their press release:

Contrary to stereotype, most Internet sex offenders are not adults who target young children by posing as another youth, luring children to meetings, and then abducting or forcibly raping them...
Rather, most online sex offenders are adults who target teens and seduce victims into sexual relationships. They take time to develop the trust and confidence of victims, so that the youth see these relationships as romances or sexual adventures. The youth most vulnerable to online sex offenders have histories of sexual or physical abuse, family problems, and tendencies to take risks both on- and offline...

Notice the way this disentangles the classic fearsome internet slide between children and teens.

Note, too, the finding that fake identities actually play a very small role:

Internet offenders pretended to be teenagers in only 5 percent of the crimes studied by researchers.

(via Reason)

Comments

[Tom]

Pete Reilly did a good job with this concept and education a while back. It's an interesting look at what K12 has to deal with all the time. I know I fought this "predator lurking behind any communication" mindset the whole time I was there.