A Preventive Intervention to Reduce Risk of Online Grooming Among Adolescents

  1. Esther Calvete 1
  2. Izaskun Orue 1
  3. Manuel Gámez-Guadi 2
  1. 1 Universidad de Deusto
    info

    Universidad de Deusto

    Bilbao, España

    ROR https://ror.org/00ne6sr39

  2. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01cby8j38

Aldizkaria:
Psychosocial Intervention

ISSN: 1132-0559

Argitalpen urtea: 2022

Alea: 31

Zenbakia: 3

Orrialdeak: 177-184

Mota: Artikulua

DOI: 10.5093/PI2022A14 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openSarbide irekia editor

Beste argitalpen batzuk: Psychosocial Intervention

Laburpena

Sexual abuse of adolescents by adults on the Internet is a severe risk with negative consequences for the victims. However, there is an important gap in the development of preventive interventions to address this problem. This study evaluated the efficacy of a brief (less than one hour) educational intervention on online grooming (less than one hour) in reducing adolescents’ sexual interaction behaviors with adults when they are sexually solicited. A sample of 856 Spanish adolescents (48% girls, ages 11-17 years) was randomized into two intervention conditions (educational intervention about online grooming and a resilience control intervention). Adolescents completed measures of online sexual solicitation by adults and sexualized interactions with adults at pretest and at three- and six-month follow-ups. Measures of their knowledge about online grooming were taken at pretest, postintervention, and at three- and six-month follow-ups. The results of multilevel analyses indicated that the intervention reduced sexualized interactions when adolescents were sexually solicited by adults (β = -.16, SD = .07, t = -2.44, p = .015). Moreover, the intervention increased adolescents’ knowledge about online grooming over time (β = 1.95, SD = .19, t = 10.52, p < .001). These findings suggest that a brief educational intervention about online grooming may be a promising, low-cost intervention to reduce the risks of sexual abuse on the Internet.

Erreferentzia bibliografikoak

  • Boustani, M. M., Frazier, S. L., & Lesperance, N. (2017). Sexual health programming for vulnerable youth: Improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Children and Youth Services Review, 73, 375-383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.01.013
  • Broome, L. J., Izura, C., & Lorenzo-Dus, N. (2018). A systematic review of fantasy driven vs. contact driven internet-initiated sexual offences: Discrete or overlapping typologies? Child Abuse & Neglect, 79, 434- 444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.02.021
  • Calvete, E., Cortazar, N., Fernández-González, L., Echezarraga, A., Beranuy, M., León, A., González-Cabrera, J., & Orue, I. (2021). Effects of a brief preventive intervention in cyberbullying and grooming in adolescents.
  • Calvete, E., Fernández-González, L., Royuela-Colomer, E., Morea, A., Larrucea-Iruretagoyena, M., Machimbarrena, J. M., González-Cabrera, J., & Orue, I. (2021). Moderating factors of the association between being sexually solicited by adults and active online sexual behaviors in adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 124, Article 106935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106935
  • Calvete, E., Orue, I., Echezarraga, A., Cortazar, N., & Fernández-González, L. (2022). A growth mindset intervention to promote resilience against online peer victimization: A randomized controlled trial. Computers in Human Behavior, 135, Article 107373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chb.2022.107373
  • Chiu, J., & Quayle, E. (2022). Understanding online grooming: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of adolescents’ offline meetings with adult perpetrators. Child Abuse & Neglect, 128, Article 105600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105600
  • Choi, H. J., Mori, C., Van Ouytsel, J., Madigan, S., & Temple, J. R. (2019). Adolescent sexting involvement over 4 years and associations with sexual activity. Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(6), 738-744. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.04.026
  • Cooper, K., Quayle, E., Jonsson, L., & Svedin, C. G. (2016). Adolescents and self-taken sexual images: A review of the literature. Computers in Human Behavior, 55(part B), 706-716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chb.2015.10.003
  • Davidson, J., Martellozzo, E., & Lorenz, M. (2009). Evaluation of CEOP ThinkUKnow internet safety programme and exploration of young people’s internet safety knowledge. Centre for Abuse & Trauma Studies and Kingston University.
  • De Santisteban, P., & Gómez-Guadix, M. (2017). Estrategias de persuasión en grooming on line: un análisis cualitativo con agresores en prisión. Psychological Intervention, 26(3), 139-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. psi.2017.02.001
  • Donmez, Y. E., & Soylu, N. (2020). The relationship between online sexual solicitation and internet addiction in adolescents. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 29(8), 911-923. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2020.1841355
  • Forni, G., Pietronigro, A., Tiwana, N., Gandolfi, C. E., Del Castillo, G., Mosillo, M., & Pellai, A. (2020). Little red riding hood in the social forest. Online grooming as a public health issue: A narrative review. Annali Di Igiene: Medicina Preventiva e Di Comunita, 32(3), 305-318. https://doi. org/10.7416/ai.2020.2353
  • Gámez-Guadix, M., De Santisteban, P., & Alcazar, M. Á. (2018). The construction and psychometric properties of the questionnaire for online sexual solicitation and interaction of minors with adults. Sexual Abuse, 30(8), 975-991. https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063217724766
  • Gámez-Guadix, M., De Santisteban, P., Wachs, S., & Wright, M. (2021). Unraveling cyber sexual abuse of minors: Psychometrics properties of the Multidimensional Online Grooming Questionnaire and prevalence by sex and age. Child Abuse & Neglect, 120, Article 105250. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105250
  • Gámez-Guadix, M., Román, F. J., Mateos, E., & De Santisteban, P. (2021). Creencias erróneas sobre el abuso sexual online de menores (child grooming) y evaluación de un programa de prevención. Psicología Conductual, 29(2), 283-296. https://doi.org/10.51668/bp.8321204s
  • Jones, L. M., Mitchell, Kimberly J., & Walsh, W. A. (2014). A content analysis of youth internet safety programs: Are effective prevention strategies being used? Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC), University of New Hampshire.
  • Kloess, J. A., Beech, A. R., & Harkins, L. (2014). Online child sexual exploitation: Prevalence, process, and offender characteristics. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 15(2), 126-139. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838013511543
  • Miu, A. S., & Yeager, D. S. (2015). Preventing symptoms of depression by teaching adolescents that people can change: Effects of a brief incremental theory of personality intervention at 9-month followup. Clinical Psychological Science, 3(5), 726-743. https://doi. org/10.1177/2167702614548317
  • Montiel, I. (2018). Ciberacoso sexual en adolescentes: creencias erróneas [Online sexual harassment among teenagers: Erroneous beliefs]. Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología, 11(3), 19-29. https://doi. org/10.33881/2027-1786.rip.11302
  • National Statistics Institute. (2020). National classification of occupations. https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_ C&cid=1254736177033&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735976614
  • Oliva, A., Antolín-Suárez, L., & Rodríguez-Meirinhos, A. (2019). Uncovering the link between self-control, age, and psychological maladjustment among Spanish adolescents and young adults. Psychosocial Intervention, 28(1), 49-55. https://doi.org/10.5093/pi2019a1
  • Quayle, E. (2020). Prevention, disruption and deterrence of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Era Forum, 21, 429-447. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12027-020-00625-7
  • Raudenbush, S. W., Bryk, A. S., Cheong, Y. F., Congdon, R. T., & du Toit, M. (2019). HLM 8.0 for Windows [Software manual]. Scientific Software International.
  • Ringenberg, T. R., Seigfried-Spellar, K. C., Rayz, J. M., & Rogers, M. K. (2022). A scoping review of child grooming strategies: Pre-and post-internet. Child Abuse & Neglect, 123, Article 105392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chiabu.2021.105392
  • Schleider, J. L., Dobias, M. L., Sung, J. Y., & Mullarkey, M. C. (2020). Future directions in single-session youth mental health interventions. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 49(2), 264-278. https://doi.org/1 0.1080/15374416.2019.1683852
  • Wachs, S., Whittle, H. C., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C., Wolf, K. D., Vazsonyi, A. T., & Junger, M. (2018). Correlates of mono-and dual-victims of cybergrooming and cyberbullying: Evidence from four countries. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 21(2), 91-98. https://doi. org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0733
  • Wavemaker. (2020). Informe sobre los adolescentes [Report on adolescents]. https://wavemakerglobal.com/es/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2021/04/LIVE-Panel-Teenagers.pdf
  • Whittle, H. C., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C., & Beech, A. R. (2013). Victims’ voices: The impact of online grooming and sexual abuse. Universal Journal of Psychology, 1(2), 59-71. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujp.2013.010206
  • Whittle, H., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C., Beech, A., & Collings, G. (2013). A review of online grooming: Characteristics and concerns. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 18(1), 62-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2012.09.003
  • Wurtele, S. K. (2017). Preventing cyber sexual solicitation of adolescents. In R. Alexander (Ed.), Research and practices in child maltreatment prevention (Vol. 1, pp. 361-393). STM Learning.
  • Wurtele, S. K., & Alexander, R. (2016). Technology-related sexual solicitation of adolescents: A review of prevention efforts. Child Abuse Review, 25(5), 332-344. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2445
  • Ybarra, M. L., Espelage, D. L., & Mitchell, K. J. (2007). The co-occurrence of Internet harassment and unwanted sexual solicitation victimization and perpetration: Associations with psychosocial indicators. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.010