Sexual Predators in Cyberspace - Annotated Bibliography Example

Sexual Predators in Cyberspace Annotated Bibliography Armagh, Daniel. “A Safety Net for the Internet: Protecting Our Children”. Juvenile Justice Journal, 5.1, (1998). Web. 12 July 2010. Daniel Armagh, the Director of the American Prosecutors Research Institute’s National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse evaluates the rocketing growth of child pornography in the United States. According to him, the situation is attributed to the absence of parental restriction and law enforcement on the use of internet. The article is an authentic source for professionals who are involved in the investigation of child abuse cases. It gives a vivid account of the perverse pattern found on the internet i.e. how sexual predators and obsessional harassers locate their victims. As the writer has been the director of a Center that provides training and technical assistance to professionals, he has succeeded to pen such a genuine work that enhances the awareness of common people. For instance, according to Armagh (2), parents’ awareness and active involvement is the most effective protection against child victimization. He also reminds that “if parents are to protect their children against cyber predators, they must understand the rational and methodology in using the internet to approach potential victims” (Armagh, 2). Finally, the author puts forward an array of protective measures which parents can implement to ensure the safety of their children from the threat of sexual predators. (2). Berson M J., Berson H R. “Internet Safety”. Education and Technology: an Encyclopedia volume 2, ABC-CLIO, 2004. 369-370. Print. The article tends to discuss the concept of internet safety in educational environment assessing the risky situations that children often confront with on the internet. It also illustrates certain safety measures like “avoidance techniques, de-escalation skills, and protection strategies” (370) that would avert problematic situations. The writers insist on the necessity of developing appropriate use policies and procedures that ensure the safety of children. The writers’ perception on internet safety is based on building children’s defense which involves “gradual and periodic interaction and discussions of their web experiences” (369). Regardless of the relevance of the issue, the article flaws as it does not dig deeper into the subject to provide the readers with dependable advice on cyberspace pornography and violence. (3). McGrath.., Casey. “Forensic Psychiatry and the Internet: Practical Perspectives on Sexual Predators and Obsessional Harassers in Cyber Space”. J AM Acad Psychiatry Law, 30 (2002). 81-94. Print. The article explores the alarming societal issues associated with the use of internet as the technology has opened up new business opportunities for sexual predators and obsessional harassers. According to the writers McGrath and Casey, these two groups have chosen internet as the best vehicle for attaining their business objectives. The major focus of the article is to make the forensic psychiatrists aware of the multifaceted issues associated with the misuse of computers and internet so that their psychiatric evaluation would become more feasible and competent. The article suggests that forensic psychiatrists should have higher understanding of the technology, “because the behavior of those they evaluate may include the activities in cyberspace” (McGrath, Casey, 81). The writers point out an array of reasons why sexual predators find cyberspace a potential arena for illegal business. “Because cyberspace is an ideal environment, giving them access to a great deal of information about a large pool of potential targets.” (84). The article is relevant to the contemporary issues as the writers’ perceptions are based on their authentic findings and work experience in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health (McGrath) and System Security Administration (Mr. Casey). (4). Medaris, M., Girouard, C. “Protecting Children in Cyberspace: The ICAC Task Force Program”. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, OJJDP, Jan. 2002. 2+. Print. Through this article US Department of Justice gives detailed description of the Office of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) Internet Crime Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program. As the article states, “the program is designed to enhance the response of the state and local law enforcement to child pornography and enticement offenses” (Medaris, Girouard, 2). The writers identify internet as the most crucial medium that causes serious sexual solicitations in the current era. The assumption has been backed by the findings of numerous agencies such as National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Sex Offender Treatment Program (STOP). The article also illustrates how legislations like Internet Service Providers Mandatory Reporting Law have enabled enforcement agencies to arrest the offenders and to save victims (3). The main objective of the article is to inform the public of the way of reporting sexual abuse to law enforcement agencies. The article restates that ICAC Task Force and Federal agency partners are committed to ensure children’s safety in the information Age (7). (5). Simmons, J. “Shooting an Unarmed, Defenseless, Innocent man: The Ineffectiveness of the Entrapment Defense in Cyberspace”. Works.bepress.com. 2009. 12 July 2010. Simmons considers cyberspace as a unique realm that is entirely different from the real world; and conventional mode of law enforcement and entrapment defense are inappropriate to protect the rights and privacy of innocent individuals. The writer knows the blend of drafting a sensational topic by developing the convictions in a natural flow. The subject is divided into five parts that enhance the readability and understanding of the article. The interesting aspect of the work is the detailed description of the various characteristics of the cyberspace which according to the writer, make real world regulations ineffective to prevent cyberspace predators. The author argues that in cyberspace cases both subjective and objective tests are ineffective and also there is no unanimous opinion regarding the law enforcement in this concern. “The flaw with the traditional entrapment defense is that it can not effectively transpose either the subjective or objective tests to cyberspace, leaving defendants in internet predation cases without an effective defense. This is because internet communications are a poor indicator for predisposition due to anonymity, possible role playing and potential big talk” (Simmons, 26). Altogether the article remains unique as it invites the world’s attention to the inevitability of collaborated efforts on cyberspace regulations. Read More