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Probing the Responses of School Personnel to Online Sexual Exploitation of Minors: A Qualitative Vignette Study
Fri, September 13, 9:30 to 10:45am, Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest, Floor: 1st floor, Amphitheater 5 „Constantin Stătescu”Abstract
Children and adolescents globally face an escalating risk of falling prey to online victimization and sexual exploitation. The protective role played by school personnel is crucial in mitigating the threats of online sexual exploitation against children (OSEC). While the term 'guardianship' has been widely employed to conceptualize and propose solutions for preventing child sexual abuse, the responses of guardians to various forms of OSE have not been systematically explored in a specific, comparative, and in-depth manner within the social context of Hong Kong.
Guided by the guardianship concept within Felson's and Cohen's routine activity theory, our research team employed an innovative methodology – the qualitative vignette approach. In the initial phase of the project, we meticulously constructed and validated 32 case scenarios with varying types of OSEC, and victims and perpetrator profiles. In the subsequent phase, we conducted individual interviews with school staff, presenting them with the vignettes. The study aimed to scrutinize how various professionals, including school principals, teachers, social workers, and teaching assistants in both primary and secondary schools, recognize, perceive, and respond to OSEC. This comprehensive examination encompassed scenarios involving grooming, sexting, sexual extortion, and online child pornography and broadcasting.
Employing a deductive thematic approach, we systematically analyzed qualitative data collected from 80 interviewees, leveraging the sophisticated capabilities of QRS NVivo plus (V12) software. The participants' responses unfolded into five overarching thematic categories: (a) certainty, (b) commitment, (c) confidence, (d) capability, and (e) concerns. These findings not only contribute to the existing body of knowledge but also hold substantive implications for policymakers and school management boards in devising nuanced and effective school-based measures.