| **U.S. Department of Justice**      Office of Justice Programs*Office for Victims of Crime* |  |
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| Children have always been vulnerable               to victimization. Their trusting natures and naivete make them perfect               targets for perpetrators—both people they know and those they               don’t. As children grow into adolescents, they remain vulnerable               to victimization.Youth are often curious and eager to try new things.               Many youth struggle with issues of rebellion and independence and               seek attention and affection from people outside the home, often               by using computers. Today, an estimated 10 million children are               using the Internet. By 2005, approximately 77 million kids will               be online. With so many children online, today’s predators               can easily find and exploit them. For predators, the Internet is               a new, effective, and more anonymous way to seek out and groom children               for criminal purposes such as producing and distributing child pornography,               contacting and stalking children for the purpose of engaging in               sexual acts, and exploiting children for sexual tourism for personal               and commercial purposes. 
The nature of Internet crimes presents               complex new challenges for law enforcement agencies and victim service               providers with regard to investigating crimes, collecting evidence,               identifying and apprehending offenders, and assisting child victims               and their families. For example, victims and perpetrators are often               separated geographically, which may hamper investigation efforts.               Also, victims are often ashamed and reluctant to come forward, which               makes identifying offenders difficult.These challenges are being               addressed by federal and local law enforcement agencies, but there               is still much to learn about preventing, identifying, and investigating               Internet-based crimes against children. 

This Bulletin is based on the experiences               of professionals now working with child victims of Internet crimes               and their families. It highlights some of the challenges law enforcement               and victim service professionals face in addressing Internet crimes               against children and focuses attention on child victims of these               crimes by examining who they are and how best to respond to their               needs and the needs of their families. 
  

Internet Crimes Against         Children 

Internet Crimes         Against Children

Introduction

Scope of the         Problem

Children as         Targets of Internet Crimes—Who Is Vulnerable?

Types of Internet         Victimization

Unique Characteristics         of Cybercrimes

Youth Internet         Safety Survey

Information         and Intervention Resources

The Future

Notes

For Further         Information

PDF and ASCII         Files

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**Acknowledgments**

OVC gratefully                       acknowledges Helen Connelly, an independent consultant,                       who conducted the original research for this project. Ms.                       Connelly identified and interviewed many of the key sources                       used in this Bulletin. OVC also gratefully acknowledges                       the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children                       for its generous help. In particular, OVC thanks John Rabun                       for his comments and suggestions during the review process                       and for helping OVC get timely access to Dr. David Finkelhor’s                       study findings for inclusion in this Bulletin. 

Preparation of this document                     was supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of                     Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions,                     findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this                     document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent                     the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of                     Justice. 

The Office for Victims of Crime                     is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also                     includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice                     Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office                     of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 
This document was originally published in May 2001 and reprinted in December 2001.
**NCJ 184931**
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This document was last updated on February 06, 2002 |
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