Internet Crimes Against Children - Case Study Example

CONTENTS: Abstract 1. Introduction 2 2. Significance of the study 4 3. Internet Crimes against Children 5 3a. The ICAC Task force 11 3b. New York State Internet Crimes against Children Task Force 12 4. Protecting A Child Online A Guide for Parents 12 4. Software available to protect children from internet crimes 14 4a. Key Loggers 14 4b. Anti Spyware Software 14 4c. Anti Spam Software 15 5. Conclusion 16 6. Recommendations 17 References 18 Internet Crimes against Children 1 Abstract Computers and internet helps the mankind in all aspects, from small businesses to advanced scientific inventions. But now people are misusing this technology a lot. It is a matter of great concern to find that the main prey of such internet related crimes are children. It will definitely affect the future of the whole world. In this study, some shocking facts related to Internet crimes against children are analyzed. It gives an insight into the various measures taken by different governmental bodies in monitoring and controlling internet crimes against children. Internet Crimes against Children 2 1. Introduction Of all the inventions of mankind, computer is the one which has transformed the world in magical proportions. Thirty years ago computers were considered as a sophisticated and costly electronic device. People looked forward to print and electronic media as information sources at that time. But, today, they rely upon computer, and its use is widespread in all walks of our life. The main reason for such a transition is the accessibility to Internet by availing the facilities in the computers. The internet facilities have brought in an unforeseen situation in the crime concept and its changing mode of application. The web crimes have already crossed all the boundaries, and internet swindles, gambling, pornography and other vices are catching the people unawares. The children, who are the future citizens, fall an easy prey to these swindlers and criminals. People stand helpless when these anti social elements tactfully bait the children to act according to their whims and fancies. As stated earlier the spread of computers and the facility of Internet took the world to another realm. Internet is a part and parcel of every individual, regardless of age and nativity. People are mainly attracted to it because of its applicability to get connected globally. The facilities like e-mails, chat, data transmission, net banking etc., are blessings to us. The technology behind the Internet promotes instant access to all sorts of information and it helps our life a lot virtually. Students use internet for educational Internet Crimes against Children 3 purposes, for playing games, and for viewing videos. Telephones are replaced by chat rooms and e-mails, for long distance communication between the children. The increased use of internet though enhances our lives with improved productivity and efficiency at work, school, home, hospital and entertainment, it has cautioned us of a global calamity which nobody could foretell of its aftermath. The calamity here means cultural drain and origination of crime without space and jurisdictions. And the main victims to this danger are the young generation. Cyberspace is often used by predators to search out children for criminal acts, from remotes. The safest place for them to do their tricks and unlawful means is the limitless cyberspace. The unending vastness and the advantage of ‘ability to vanish into air’ inspire these crooked minded persons to a great extent. Their fear of law is totally eliminated by using cyberspace.(http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/bulletins/internet_2_2001/internt 201_1.html, viewed on viewed on April 24, 2009) The national program on Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) educates the people about Internet safety. It investigates and prosecutes crimes against children committed by the use of Internet. ICAC was formed considering the increased usage of Internet by children and teenagers. Its main aim is to curtail these acts of children and also the online illegal activities of adults. The ICAC Task Force Program assists the State and local law enforcement agencies in hooking the offenders who utilize the Internet and Internet Crimes against Children 4 other technologies to sexually exploit children. The program consists of 59 regional Task Force agencies. It is financed by the United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The Training & Technical Assistance Program will assist these agencies by giving training and technical assistance to prepare them for their task on Internet Crimes Against Children initiatives. (http://www.illinoisicac.org/, viewed on 24th April, 2009) 2. Significance of the study In a recent study, it was found that a large number of children are using computers and internet for learning and data collection and for communication. It was also found that the children and teenagers are one of the fastest growing groups of Internet users. About ten years only more than 40% of all American homes had computers. About 25% had Internet access. But in the year 2008 it is found that an estimated 100 million kids are using internet for various purposes. It is alarming that these young people who are online, are greatly vulnerable to the predators and therefore, parents, law enforcement officials, and prosecutors must be well aware of the internet crimes against children so that they can take necessary steps to prevent the victimization of these children without any lapse of time, and before getting everything out of control, and this will help the task force to prosecute the offenders. Internet Crimes against Children 5 3. Internet Crimes against Children Young children and teenagers are the true targets for criminal acts because they are easy to make believe. They are often trusting, curious, adventurous, and eager for attention and affection. The internet crimes against children are increasing because Internet provides predator’s anonymity. What attract the predators is that children and teenagers have not been viewed as a credible witness, historically. The risk factor is very great for children and teenagers in this respect. If the predator gets a target, he starts his job by sharing hobbies and interests, first. This may lead to the exchange of gifts and pictures. The online predators usually spend more time to make friendship with the children. After building the trust of the children, the predator gets on with what he or she ultimately wants from them. Parents are not immune to the possibility of their child being exploited and harassed on the Internet. Older children often use the computer unsupervised and are more likely to engage in online discussions of a secret nature. They are really initiating greater risk by this. Some children become victims without knowing that they are participating in a crime when they knowingly or unknowingly become engaged in chat rooms, e-mailing messages, and sending pictures online. A few of them may become even rebellious or troubled while seeking emancipation from parental authority. This behavior can be influenced easily by the internet predators. Internet Crimes against Children 6 Predators are using different methods to contact teenagers through Internet and after getting their target; they persuade them through online contact for the purpose of engaging them for sexual acts by offering them something pleasant. Predators use the internet technology for the production, manufacture and distribution of child pornography. Internet can be used by them to expose youth to child pornography and encourage them to exchange it. Cases of exploiting children for sexual tourism (travel with the intent to engage in sexual behavior) are increasing. Information technology is more advanced now and if the predator gets a nude picture or images of children, it can be digitally transformed into pornographic material and distributed across the Internet without the knowledge of the children. They children will never knew about it except and till in their quest they come across it. They never will suspect that such an outcome will come out of their innocent picture. But before that what should have been avoided will become unavoidable and when the child’s picture is displayed on the Internet, it can remain there forever or till it is removed from the net. Images can stay on the Internet indefinitely without damage to the quality of the image. It causes a repeated and long term victimization of a child. A determined predator may travel hundreds of miles to different countries and stay there till he finds the targeted child. He may then encourage the child to do sexual acts, which have come on the Internet. These crimes transcend jurisdictional boundaries, often involving multiple victims from different communities, states, and countries. Internet Crimes against Children 7 The anonymity created from the benefits of Internet technology provides a false sense of security and secrecy for both the perpetrator and the victim. Many children who are victims of Internet crimes seem to be afraid of disclosing their bad experience. Some of them who experience physical or sexual abuse may disclose about it to a friend, teacher, or parent, but that is very rare. Many of the victims of Internet crimes remain anonymous until pictures or images are discovered by law enforcement during an investigation. It is very difficult to find the number of youngsters, who became the victims of online sexual harassment. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) conducted a study on four different areas of victimization against children. The results of this study were really shocking. Last year, 20 percent of the youth in US got invitation to have sexual approach. They were offered money for sex. Some predators used US Postal service to transfer their gifts and money to their target children or teenagers, to invite them for sex. The study revealed that the percentages of children, who are harassed or threatened by the predators, are also increasing. It showed that a good number of children were having mental problems, due to sexual harassment. It definitely affected the conduct of the young generation and their growth to an alarming level. About 25% of the young people who were subjected to study were afraid to tell of the victimizing incident to their parents. This attitude created more difficulties in bringing forth the well being of Internet Crimes against Children 8 the new generation. Only a small fraction of children and their parents reported the details of sexual invitation and the subsequent harassment to the police and the investigators so as to initiate necessary criminal action against the predators. Porn blocking software available now in the online market, could have been used to block the usage of the porn and related websites. But only 25-30% of house holds are using such prevention techniques. Since internet has its pros and cons, it is up to the parents to make the children aware of the pros and transform the attitude of the children in that direction. It is matter of great concern that if earlier these online sexual victimization were the monopoly of male predators, it has now changed to a stage that female predators are taking advantage of the internet to do crimes on the net. The internet related sex business, especially with children of young age can give more financial benefits. The increased number of women predators reveals that they are more tactful in carrying out this victimization by taking the privilege of their being women to do discreet acts supplemented by the anonymous nature and safety provided by the internet. If children start to resist the activities of predators by blocking the websites and ignoring the offers of the predators coming by way of emails and if they take the initiative to report the details of the sex invitation to the police and the service providers many a crime can be stopped. A large number of our people are still ignorant about the fact that they can very well approach the police if there are internet crimes against their Internet Crimes against Children 9 children. It is evident that no body could track down the travels of these predators easily and time bound, because of the anonymity and also t because of the geographical positions and differences. However, this situation calls for the formulation of a uniform code of criminal procedure at international level. (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ publications/bulletins/internet_2_2001/viewed on April 24, 2009) Predators acts in different ways utilizing the advantages of the computer and internet. In order to attract the children, sometimes the predators use chatting and others engage in emailing by collecting the email addresses of their target group from the major web sites, by paying the required fees to them. In either ways they put the baits to the children and once they take the baits then the predators will start sending pornographic pictures and literature to the children. After establishing the trust, the predator will then persuade the children to give their identity and phone number. Thereafter the predator will fix up personal meeting at such and such places. The parents should have to be careful about their child’s future because these types of sexual harassments will affect the mental and physical and also the moral welfare of children. The parents shall have supervision on the way and quantum and quality of internet usage by their children. The parents must be aware that the children are susceptible for sexual tourism and other connected crimes. The predators may go the extent of publicizing the details of whereabouts such as address and location of the children so that the clients can get personal access to the children. They may build up a child prostitution ring to attract their prospective clients. Thus the predators can monitor Internet Crimes against Children 10 the children to sexual harassment and can also subject them to other criminal offences.(http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/criminal_investigation/Internet_ Crimes_ Against_Children/ viewed on May 1, 2009) There are some statistical findings related to analyzing the impact of internet crimes against children. The findings are really shocking. It is found that the predators approached one out of five children using internet. They approach children mainly through e-mail or chat rooms. There they can meet children in private and give some offers or gifts to attract them. Mainly they approach the target children by introducing them as a teenager. In another survey it is found that the age of more that 43 per cent of predators is more than 25. Most of them are not having any previous criminal back ground. Once they got their target children, the predators make arrangements to meet the children directly. In another research, conducted by Crimes against children Research Center, it was found that 25% of the children were exposed to unwanted pornographic materials through internet. This is a common method used by the predators to attract the children and teenagers. The percentages of children who were approached by the predators for sexual acts, and who told this to their parents were only 25%. About 75% did not admit it at all even though hey are sexually harassed by the predators. (http://www.sentrypc.com/ statistics.htm viewed on 1st may 2009) Internet Crimes against Children 11 The target of these predators is children in the age group of 14 and above. Only 5% of the parents are aware of this and know that their children are going after a risk. 95% of the parents are totally unaware of these internet crimes against children. The investigation report says that the details of serious internet crimes are not perceived by many of the parents. Thousands of children are becoming prone to these predators and the parents do not know that their children are meeting in person with these predators. (http://www.crime-research.org/news/03.06.2004/319/ viewed on 01 May, 2009) 3a.The ICAC Task Force Program The main aim of ICAC task force is to provide prevention, education and investigative expertise to parents, teachers, law enforcement and professionals working on child victimization issues. The Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program ensures that participating State and local law enforcement agencies can acquire the necessary knowledge, equipment, and personnel resources to prevent, interdict, or investigate ICAC offenses. The major reason for creating such a task force is to save the children because if a child is exposed to behavior they are not ready to handle it could have an overall negative impact on their entire life. Such a generation is harmful to the future of the country. So, controlling of internet crimes against children is a main issue of the government. (http://internetcrimesagainstchildrene.43910.free-press-release.com/ viewed on May 1, 2009) Internet Crimes against Children 12 3b. New York State Internet Crimes against Children Task Force The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) the New York State Police (NYSP) and the New York State Attorney General (NYSAG) formed a partnership in 1998 September to work together for ICAC Task Force initiatives. They help ICAC Task Force for conducting investigations on internet crimes against children and prosecute the predators. The police officers, law enforcement officers and prosecutors are trained by the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. They also provide investigative assistance to police agencies and prosecutors. The New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provide assistance to children, parents, other individuals and organizations in solving their issues and problems related to internet crimes. They also develop and distribute child safety curriculum to different groups and agencies which focuses on child safety. 4. Protecting A Child Online A Guide for Parents The following measures can be adopted by parents to protect their children from internet crimes: 1. Whenever you feel that your child has more awareness of the different ways to browse and has knowledge of different sites, then ask them to teach you the same. This will give you an idea as to which are the sites your child is visiting and Internet Crimes against Children 13 you can rest assured if the site is safe. If it is the reverse then you can advise your child not to visit that particular site by telling the real facts of such sites. 2. See to it that the computer is kept in a public area of the house like the family room where everyone in the family can see when a child works on the computer. This will protect the child as he/she will know that his elders are having an eye on them. 3. Warn your child not to give out any personal information online to anybody. Tell them that they should not tell anyone, either through mails or even chat rooms their real name, address, phone number or even tell their school name. Never permit your child to meet any one face-to-face whom they have met online. 4. Set aside some time in a day to check the sites your child visits often and also have a close look at the different files which they store. 5. Never miss any opportunity which you can use to talk to your child about the online safety guidance. Tell them about what are the sites that are safe for them to visit, and set up a rule as to the time, when they can spend online. Tell them what material they can get from the internet and which are the ones which they must avoid viewing. 6. Avail all the parental controls which you can access on the commercial online services. Find out which are the services that provide online hosts to check chat rooms. Also install filtering software so that it blocks all the adult sites on the cyberspace. Internet Crimes against Children 14 7. Keep a watch on the time your child spends on the net and be aware if he/she uses excessive hours to browse or even chat. 8. Monitor online time. Be aware of excessive hours on the Internet. 9. Try to support your children’s’ safety and teach them to use the internet in a safe way. (http://www.strikeforceonline.org/parents.html viewed on 3rd May 2009). 5. Software available to protect children from internet crimes There are certain software available to protect children from internet crimes. They are Key logging software, Anti Spyware software and Anti Spam software. 5 a. Key Logging software To save the children from using unwanted sites or chat rooms is the major headache for the scientists. The invention of key logging software is a milestone in information technology. This software is a practical method to save child from accessing unauthorized or porn web pages. It starts running from the moment Windows is loaded. If the user types any specific words related to pornography or related subject, the software will automatically block the execution of that word. But it is the responsibility of the parents to have an adequate child internet protection system at home. 5 b. Anti Spyware Software Spyware software is used for the commercial benefit of its creators. By using this software they can illegally acquire the private information like credit card number of the user. Anti Spyware Software can be used to protect the users from such malicious software. Internet Crimes against Children 15 5 c. Anti Spam Software E-mail and chat rooms are the playgrounds of spam. They come to our desk top as pop up messages. Advertisers use this mainly to hook and trap their customers. The predators may use these techniques to attract their targets. Anti Spam software can be used to control the spam.http://www.nospysoftware.com/spyware-articles/ internet-crimes-against-children.php,viewed on April 24, 2009) Crimes against Children 16 6. Conclusion The Internet is a wonderful technology. It is quite certain that it will bring good for the children so that they could gain a better future in their lives. It is true that by using this sophisticated but user friendly technology we can very well get access to information that was not easily available to us before. But the internet is a very vast and unending play ground for pedophiles and purveyors of child pornography. The law enforcement, the media, schools and teachers are required to solve this problem by educating parents and giving public awareness. School teachers can assist the agencies who ceaselessly working for the promotion of prevention of internet crimes against children by posting relevant information of the internet crimes their school home pages. This will help the parents in collecting information from school home pages. There are a number of independent and governmental agencies like ICAC Task force and the New York State Internet Crimes against Children Task Force who fight relentlessly against these crimes by Internet assisting the law enforcement and police to make investigations regarding internet crimes against children. The internet crimes against children are increasing every day. It is expanding even at this moment from nation to nation posing great threat to humanity as a whole. These crimes will affect the coming generation drastically creating physical and mental damage to them. Since the growth of a child happens at and from home, it is up to the parents to take the first initiative to put a control over their children in their internet using habits. Secondly, it is up to the teachers at school and college to frame the measures of regulations to cut the webs of the aforesaid internet evil so as to save the children and the young from falling a prey the ‘spread web’ of the predators and the criminals dominating wantonly on the cyberspace. Internet Crimes against Children 17 6 a. Recommendations 1) The government should create an awareness program to educate the parents 2) Most of the victims of internet crimes are afraid of disclosing their bitter experience to their parents or police. To tackle this problems proper awareness programs may be chalked out at school level so that children may overcome their fright. 3) The punishment of the culprits becomes difficult in some cases because of the geographical and judicial differences. Therefore, a well found international criminal code must be formulated at international level, in this regard. 4) The school teachers can assist the parents, children and the government by posting information of internet crimes against children on their school home pages. 5) Many filtering and blocking software are available now in the market. The parents by using such software can prevent their children from accessing unwanted sites. A thorough awareness program should be conducted to educate the children, parents and teachers. Internet Crimes against Children 18 6) The public should have a responsibility to the young generation. They must assist the ICAC task force, police and the government to prosecute the culprits. References 1) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/bulletins/internet_2_2001/internet_201_1.html, viewed on April 24, 2009 2) http://www.nospysoftware.com/spyware-articles/internet-crimes-against-children.php viewed on April 24, 2009 3) http://www.sentrypc.com/statistics.htm viewed on May 1, 2009 4) http://www.crime-research.org/news/03.06.2004/319/ viewed on May 1, 20096) 5) http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/criminal_investigation/Internet_Crimes_Against_Children/ viewed on May 1, 2009) 8) http://internetcrimesagainstchildrene.43910.free-press-release.com/ viewed on May 1, 2009 9) http://www.illinoisicac.org/, viewed on 24th April, 2009 10) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ publications/bulletins/internet_2_2001/viewed on April 24, 2009 11) http://www.strikeforceonline.org/parents.html viewed on 3rd May 2009 Read More