Sex Offenders the Internet Allows

Sex Offenders The Internet allows sex offenders to communicate with and learn from other sex offenders worldwide, including tips for luring victims and, sharing of fantasies, and actual access to potential victims (Davidson & Gottschalk, 2011). Because of this, the Internet can be considered a particularly dangerous arena for sex offenders.

The perils of internet-based sex offences are especially evident with the "grooming" process, in which offenders befriends a minor online with the express intent of gaining trust and subsequent access to meeting them in person to perpetrate sexual abuse (Davidson & Gottschalk, 2011). Grooming behaviors have long been recognized as a problem enhanced by the Internet. As a result, legislation in several countries has followed to permit the persecution of sex offenders who engage in grooming behaviors (Davidson & Gottschalk, 2011).

Such legislation may be helpful when prosecuting known offenders, but a more comprehensive approach that also empowers communities, potential victims, and their families would be more productive and effective in the long run. Preventing sex offenders from engaging in social media would be technically and legally impossible. It might be possible for ISPs to use the sex offender registry in any given state to create a block against specific websites for those clients. However, sex offenders can easily work around such restrictions.

The Internet is also vast, and where one social media door closes, another can open. Many of the "grooming" methods and forums used by sex offenders are not those that are in common use. For example, a child's hobby might become a point of interest for the sex offender, who joins a hobby site forum. It would be impossible to monitor all internet forums for grooming behavior, given that grooming behavior can be subtle. A person's age is not necessarily apparent from their online persona, either.

At the same time, any known sex offender who is on probation or parole will be monitored more closely than an offender whose sentence has already been served or who has yet to be caught. Granted, offenders who can legally be monitored for their online behaviors should be prevented from engaging in any precursor acts to grooming. The rehabilitation process should include the development of healthy online behaviors and habits. Specific features of online communication make it so that grooming is easy for sex offenders.

It is also difficult if not impossible to prevent sex offenders from using the Internet to perpetrate their criminal behaviors. Therefore, the best solution is to target the other end of the equation and empower communities, parents, and children. Research is increasingly revealing the value of education and community interventions in teaching children about what warning signs to look out for when using the Internet (Davidson & Gottschalk, 2011).

Some research also shows that prevention efforts that help young people use the internet more responsibly are also more effective when coupled with anti-bullying and other mental health interventions that target the psychosocial problems related to vulnerability (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2008). An approach that empowers the most at-risk youth might help reduce the prevalence.