title: Offenders who use child sexual exploitation material: Development of an integrated model for their classification, assessment, and treatment

authors: Merdian, Hannah Lena

subjects: child sexual exploitation material

abstract: Since the advent of the internet, convictions for the possession, display, trading and distribution of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) have risen steadily. Professionals working in sex offender assessment and treatment have seen an influx in individuals who engage in this type of child sexual abuse without any direct contact with the victim. Despite an increase in recent research activities, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding this “new type” of sex offenders, in terms of appropriate assessment, treatment and management strategies.
 
A comprehensive review was undertaken, establishing the knowledge basis regarding CSEM offending and the offenders who engage in it. The identified differences between CSEM offenders (CSEMOs) and contact sex offenders (CSOs) and the nature of their offending led to the development of a theoretical model of CSEM offending, suggesting a classification of CSEM users on three dimensions: CSEM offending with or without direct sexual contact to a minor (fantasy-driven versus contact-driven offending), the individual’s motivation to offend, and the level of networking with other offenders. The question of risk of reoffending in CSEMOs, especially concerning cross-over to contact sex offending with a minor, was examined in terms of actual reoffending data and in the context of behavioural consequences resulting from general pornography consumption. The findings further confirmed the value of the two-fold distinction of CSEMOs, with contact-driven offenders presenting higher risk of direct sex offending based on a greater inclination for sexual violence. A review of existing risk assessment tools and established risk factors for sexual reoffending pointed to the value of structured professional guidelines when assessing CSEM offenders. 
Sixty-eight offenders were assessed via an anonymous computer survey including a variety of clinical and risk-related variables; the sample included 22 CSEMOs, 29 CSOs, and 17 offenders with both offence types (mixed offenders, MOs). The findings confirmed differing profiles between CSEM users and CSOs, most notably in the high emotional, time-related and financial cost involved in CSEMOs’ internet behaviour and MOs’ apparent disregard for their emotional ties to others. As a heterogeneous nature of CSEM users became apparent, numerical and graphical methods were employed to identify subgroups of CSEM users: Contact-driven Users (n = 15), Fantasy-driven Users (n = 12), and three smaller subgroups (each n = 2): Users with a preference for material with extreme content (Extreme Material Users), users who enacted high caution in their CSEM offending (Cautious Users), and users with high social connectedness (Social Users). While the focus of Contact-driven Users was pointed to direct sexual contact with minors, Fantasy-driven Users showed higher involvement in their CSEM usage, for example regarding their social or emotional investment online. The spatial representation of participants identified three dimensions as crucial in the classification of these subgroups: direct sexual contact with a minor, possession of fantasy-generating material, and social contact with other users with a sexual interest in minors. Exploring the subgroups’ profile on these variables and on conventional predictors of sex offending led to the development of an empirical model of CSEM users, differentiating a contact-driven pathway (Cautious Users, Contact-driven Users) from a fantasy-driven pathway (Extreme Material Users, Fantasy-driven Users, and Social Users), with offenders on the contact-driven pathway appearing more similar to CSOs. 
The theoretical and empirical models were then combined into an Integrated Model for the Classification, Assessment, and Treatment of CSEM Users (IMCAT-CU), leading to the development of structured professional guidelines for their assessment and risk evaluation according to the five prototypes of CSEM offending.

text: Offenders who use child sexual exploitation material: Development of an integrated model for their classification, assessment, and treatment Since the advent of the internet, convictions for the possession, display, trading and distribution of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) have risen steadily. Professionals working in sex offender assessment and treatment have seen an influx in individuals who engage in this type of child sexual abuse without any direct contact with the victim. Despite an increase in recent research activities, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding this “new type” of sex offenders, in terms of appropriate assessment, treatment and management strategies.
 
A comprehensive review was undertaken, establishing the knowledge basis regarding CSEM offending and the offenders who engage in it. The identified differences between CSEM offenders (CSEMOs) and contact sex offenders (CSOs) and the nature of their offending led to the development of a theoretical model of CSEM offending, suggesting a classification of CSEM users on three dimensions: CSEM offending with or without direct sexual contact to a minor (fantasy-driven versus contact-driven offending), the individual’s motivation to offend, and the level of networking with other offenders. The question of risk of reoffending in CSEMOs, especially concerning cross-over to contact sex offending with a minor, was examined in terms of actual reoffending data and in the context of behavioural consequences resulting from general pornography consumption. The findings further confirmed the value of the two-fold distinction of CSEMOs, with contact-driven offenders presenting higher risk of direct sex offending based on a greater inclination for sexual violence. A review of existing risk assessment tools and established risk factors for sexual reoffending pointed to the value of structured professional guidelines when assessing CSEM offenders. 
Sixty-eight offenders were assessed via an anonymous computer survey including a variety of clinical and risk-related variables; the sample included 22 CSEMOs, 29 CSOs, and 17 offenders with both offence types (mixed offenders, MOs). The findings confirmed differing profiles between CSEM users and CSOs, most notably in the high emotional, time-related and financial cost involved in CSEMOs’ internet behaviour and MOs’ apparent disregard for their emotional ties to others. As a heterogeneous nature of CSEM users became apparent, numerical and graphical methods were employed to identify subgroups of CSEM users: Contact-driven Users (n = 15), Fantasy-driven Users (n = 12), and three smaller subgroups (each n = 2): Users with a preference for material with extreme content (Extreme Material Users), users who enacted high caution in their CSEM offending (Cautious Users), and users with high social connectedness (Social Users). While the focus of Contact-driven Users was pointed to direct sexual contact with minors, Fantasy-driven Users showed higher involvement in their CSEM usage, for example regarding their social or emotional investment online. The spatial representation of participants identified three dimensions as crucial in the classification of these subgroups: direct sexual contact with a minor, possession of fantasy-generating material, and social contact with other users with a sexual interest in minors. Exploring the subgroups’ profile on these variables and on conventional predictors of sex offending led to the development of an empirical model of CSEM users, differentiating a contact-driven pathway (Cautious Users, Contact-driven Users) from a fantasy-driven pathway (Extreme Material Users, Fantasy-driven Users, and Social Users), with offenders on the contact-driven pathway appearing more similar to CSOs. 
The theoretical and empirical models were then combined into an Integrated Model for the Classification, Assessment, and Treatment of CSEM Users (IMCAT-CU), leading to the development of structured professional guidelines for their assessment and risk evaluation according to the five prototypes of CSEM offending.

year: 2012

title: Override and update

authors: Jackson, Marcel

abstract: Override and update are natural constructions for combining partial functions, which arise in various program specification contexts. We use an unexpected connection with combinatorial geometry to provide a complete finite system of equational axioms for the first order theory of the override and update constructions on partial functions, resolving the main unsolved problem in the area.

text: Override and update Override and update are natural constructions for combining partial functions, which arise in various program specification contexts. We use an unexpected connection with combinatorial geometry to provide a complete finite system of equational axioms for the first order theory of the override and update constructions on partial functions, resolving the main unsolved problem in the area.

year: 2021

title: How prepared are Pākehā tertiary teachers to teach Māori students? Teachers’ own perceptions of their preparedness

authors: Honey, Sandra Elizabeth

subjects: tertiary teachers

abstract: In the past three decades New Zealand has seen an increasing government commitment to realising the promises of both equality and tino rangatiratanga embedded in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There is acknowledgement that the impacts of colonisation and past acts of government have negatively affected Māori economically, socially, politically and educationally. 
To strengthen New Zealand’s ability to compete economically and academically on an international level, the Ministry of Education 2014 – 2019 Tertiary Education Strategy set an aim for 55% of all 25-34 year olds, regardless of ethnicity, to have a qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQA Framework, by 2017. Additionally Ka Hikitia: the Māori Education Strategy (2009, 2013) particularly aims for Māori to be achieving these educational successes as Māori, where being Māori is a strength in their learning and where learning environments acknowledge and support Te Ao Māori.
Although enrolments of students at Wānanga (tertiary institutes based on Māori principles and values) are steadily increasing, the majority of Māori tertiary students currently study at mainstream (English medium) institutes and are taught in the majority by Pākehā teachers. Regardless of which institute Māori study at, the Tertiary Education Strategy (Ministry of Education, 2014) acknowledges that culturally responsive education better engages Māori. This acknowledgement carries with it an expectation that Pākehā tertiary teachers are prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways and are confident in using culturally responsive pedagogies. 
This thesis examines how prepared Pākehā tertiary teachers perceive themselves to meet the tertiary education strategy’s expectation. It includes examining the existing literature about how tertiary teachers are prepared in New Zealand and the expectations of culturally responsive tertiary education. Pākehā tertiary teachers were then interviewed for their perspectives of their preparedness for teaching Māori students. Teachers identified themselves variably in their perceived levels of preparedness.   What emerges from the study is that tertiary teacher preparation in a cultural context should take priority in developing new teachers’ cultural capacity to meet the expectation of the tertiary education strategies for Māori to be succeeding in tertiary education, as Māori.
This research is significant because it looks at the complexity of what is required for preparing culturally responsive Pākehā tertiary teachers and aligns this with teachers’ own perceptions of how prepared they are. Studying the perception of preparedness from the teachers’ point of view is a new direction to take as the evaluation of tertiary teacher performance is usually done by means external to the teachers’ own personal evaluations; that is, teacher capability and performance is usually measured by student evaluations and student achievement outcomes.
Whilst this study is New Zealand focussed and refers to many New Zealand originating resources, literature from international studies also serve to reinforce the notion that being a culturally responsive teacher is a multifaceted journey of both personal and professional growth for teachers.

text: How prepared are Pākehā tertiary teachers to teach Māori students? Teachers’ own perceptions of their preparedness In the past three decades New Zealand has seen an increasing government commitment to realising the promises of both equality and tino rangatiratanga embedded in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There is acknowledgement that the impacts of colonisation and past acts of government have negatively affected Māori economically, socially, politically and educationally. 
To strengthen New Zealand’s ability to compete economically and academically on an international level, the Ministry of Education 2014 – 2019 Tertiary Education Strategy set an aim for 55% of all 25-34 year olds, regardless of ethnicity, to have a qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQA Framework, by 2017. Additionally Ka Hikitia: the Māori Education Strategy (2009, 2013) particularly aims for Māori to be achieving these educational successes as Māori, where being Māori is a strength in their learning and where learning environments acknowledge and support Te Ao Māori.
Although enrolments of students at Wānanga (tertiary institutes based on Māori principles and values) are steadily increasing, the majority of Māori tertiary students currently study at mainstream (English medium) institutes and are taught in the majority by Pākehā teachers. Regardless of which institute Māori study at, the Tertiary Education Strategy (Ministry of Education, 2014) acknowledges that culturally responsive education better engages Māori. This acknowledgement carries with it an expectation that Pākehā tertiary teachers are prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways and are confident in using culturally responsive pedagogies. 
This thesis examines how prepared Pākehā tertiary teachers perceive themselves to meet the tertiary education strategy’s expectation. It includes examining the existing literature about how tertiary teachers are prepared in New Zealand and the expectations of culturally responsive tertiary education. Pākehā tertiary teachers were then interviewed for their perspectives of their preparedness for teaching Māori students. Teachers identified themselves variably in their perceived levels of preparedness.   What emerges from the study is that tertiary teacher preparation in a cultural context should take priority in developing new teachers’ cultural capacity to meet the expectation of the tertiary education strategies for Māori to be succeeding in tertiary education, as Māori.
This research is significant because it looks at the complexity of what is required for preparing culturally responsive Pākehā tertiary teachers and aligns this with teachers’ own perceptions of how prepared they are. Studying the perception of preparedness from the teachers’ point of view is a new direction to take as the evaluation of tertiary teacher performance is usually done by means external to the teachers’ own personal evaluations; that is, teacher capability and performance is usually measured by student evaluations and student achievement outcomes.
Whilst this study is New Zealand focussed and refers to many New Zealand originating resources, literature from international studies also serve to reinforce the notion that being a culturally responsive teacher is a multifaceted journey of both personal and professional growth for teachers.

year: 2014