Behind the Screen: Understanding Adolescent Perpetrators of Non-Consensual Intimate Image Sharing

• In Event: Sex-Related Cybercrimes: Grooming, Intimate Image, Sextortion

Abstract

In the digital age, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images among adolescents poses a significant challenge in cybercrime, necessitating innovative prevention and intervention strategies. This phenomenological study delves into the perspectives of professionals who work with adolescent perpetrators, addressing a critical gap in the existing research that predominantly focuses on the victims. The study involves semi-structured interviews with 27 professionals, including nine educational counselors, nine law enforcement officers, and nine defense attorneys, to uncover the complex dynamics involved in treating young offenders in today's digital landscape.
The analysis identifies four key themes: diverse professional perceptions of perpetrator motivations, varying therapeutic approaches, emotional challenges in treatment, and differing views on the effectiveness of interventions. While there is consensus among professionals that such behavior represents a severe form of cyberbullying, their treatment approaches differ markedly based on their professional backgrounds. Law enforcement and legal professionals tend to emphasize formal-legal approaches and view the behavior as characteristic of adolescent development. In contrast, educational counselors focus on an emotional-educational perspective, highlighting the negative influence of technology.
This research makes a significant contribution to the field of digital criminology by underscoring the need for a multi-systemic approach to juvenile cybercrime intervention. It offers practical recommendations for developing more effective prevention strategies and enhancing professional training programs, which are particularly relevant for educational and criminal justice systems dealing with youth cybercrime. The findings stress the importance of integrating diverse professional perspectives to forge more comprehensive and effective interventions for adolescent perpetrators of digital abuse.

Authors

• Michal Dolev-Cohen, Oranim Academic College of Education, Israel

• Moran Yosef-Tal, Oranim Academic College of Education