2 replies on “The risk escalating/reducing potential of online forums for pedophiles – a literature review”
Hi, very interesting presentation, thank you for sharing your research. I’m wondering what your reasoning was to exclude any studies that report on dark web forum or forums in which illegal activities have taken place, as such forums could possibly offer some additional insights?
Hi Sarah. Thank you for your question. I agree that studies reporting on dark web forums in which illegal activities take place could indeed provide additional insights, and important insights to understand social digital culture of MAPs more broadly. Yet, we chose to exclude those here, as our primary interest was the preventive potential of forums as an additional and/or alternative mode of help-seeking to prevent CSA. Reflecting on this, we found that illegal dark web forums could not help promote that agenda, as they directly facilitate crime. Legal dark web forums could have been included, but were also excluded for the reason, that those newly aware of pedophilic attractions would be more likely to firstly identify forums on the world wide web, rather than the dark web, for which non-dark-web-forums would better reflect an initial help-seeking resource for its accessibility.
I hope that answered your question. You are also more than welcome to contact me at mira@cc.au.dk for more questions or a more elaborate ‘discussion’.
2 replies on “The risk escalating/reducing potential of online forums for pedophiles – a literature review”
Hi, very interesting presentation, thank you for sharing your research. I’m wondering what your reasoning was to exclude any studies that report on dark web forum or forums in which illegal activities have taken place, as such forums could possibly offer some additional insights?
Hi Sarah. Thank you for your question. I agree that studies reporting on dark web forums in which illegal activities take place could indeed provide additional insights, and important insights to understand social digital culture of MAPs more broadly. Yet, we chose to exclude those here, as our primary interest was the preventive potential of forums as an additional and/or alternative mode of help-seeking to prevent CSA. Reflecting on this, we found that illegal dark web forums could not help promote that agenda, as they directly facilitate crime. Legal dark web forums could have been included, but were also excluded for the reason, that those newly aware of pedophilic attractions would be more likely to firstly identify forums on the world wide web, rather than the dark web, for which non-dark-web-forums would better reflect an initial help-seeking resource for its accessibility.
I hope that answered your question. You are also more than welcome to contact me at mira@cc.au.dk for more questions or a more elaborate ‘discussion’.