This presentation shows how new technology can put individuals at higher risk for victimization.

1. The New Age Criminal: How the Psychological Isolation of Cyberspace Contributes to Victimization. 1 New Age Criminal

2. The New Age Criminal New Age Criminal 2 How safe are individuals when including personal information on the internet? “It’s becoming not just a worldwide problem, but a worldwide business [of predators invading our homes to target the vulnerable] (Williams-Thomas, 2009, p 2). Cyber stalking, pornography, preying on children in the hopes of gaining better access to them is more common than individuals ever imagined. “Twenty years ago, a [predator] would have had to loiter around parks, funfairs and swimming pools to gain access to children, where his suspicious behavior – in full public view- would often have raised the alarm before he could cause any real harm” (Williams-Thomas, 2009, p 3). Today, the internet and cell phones give perpetrators easy access to individuals that may become victims. Youth may have difficulty interacting socially and may use the internet as a reliable source for finding friends. This group of friends may elicit personal information from the youth that may put the youth at risk of victimization.

3. Internet Safety Conflicts New Age Criminal 3 Many web-based businesses expect a certain level of personal information to be revealed in order to meet criteria for joining groups, signing up for email notifications, etc. Most sites require personal information to set up an account and can give predators insight into a person’s life without meeting the victim face-to-face. “Of the 2,000 people surveyed by the magazine (Consumer Reports), about 52 percent of adult Internet users have posted data that could be dangerous, including home addresses, full date of birth, and information about their children” (Albanesius, 2010, p 1). Divulging personal information can create a target pool for cyber predators. Some predators may target college persons by creating a false identity mirroring common activities to lure victims into believing he or she has met someone with shared interests. Dating sites may also give predator’s valuable personal information about individuals, making the individuals an easier population to target.

4. Weakness of Data New Age Criminal 4 The weakness of the research does not show a directly connection from the internet to the victimization. There needs to be more data in determining about the way a predator chooses his or her victim and the information that may attract a predator. Some sexual assaults have been reportedly linked to on-line dating services. Victims meet a person in an on-line dating chat room, over time feel comfortable with this person and decide the person is safe enough to meet in person. The victim does not know that the perpetrator has chosen the victim based on detailed information that was viewed from the dating profile.

5. Psychological Aspects of Some Internet Users New Age Criminal 5 Many other perpetrators may find his or her victims through the internet support groups associated with those with low-self esteem. Many may look to the internet for advice among others, looking for groups for understanding and support. “Despite their popularity, there is little evidence as to the effectiveness of Internet support groups which provided peer-to-peer mutual support” (Depression, 2010, p 1). Are those using the internet more prone to experiencing depression, believing false information and have social difficulty? If so, do these characteristics alone may them more vulnerable to victimization? Social media was created to encourage social interaction. “Human factors are key issues for the development of Web-based applications, leading research into human factors to grow significantly” (Chen & Macredie, 2010, p1). “Sex offenders living in the United States are bound by multiple policies, including registration, community notification, monitoring via a global positioning system, civil commitment, and residency, loitering, and Internet restrictions” (Bonnar-Kidd, 2010, p 1). Laws are in place for predators to be restricted from areas such as internets, but what type of restrictions can be enforced with cell phones or community places that have internet accessibility, such as a library or community center?

6. Internet Accountability New Age Criminal 6 The evidence enforces the need for awareness and vulnerability for those using social media as a form of communication among strangers. How can we teach our children and teens how predators target them without making our children fearful of everyone? Believing what you read about a person on line can create a false sense of comfort that may put a person at risk for becoming victimized. Although social networking sites were developed to increase social activity, cyberspace may contribute to individuals to become easier targets for crime”.

7. Preventative Steps to Take to Avoid Becoming Victimized New Age Criminal 7 How can we create devices to limit or prevent information discovery for those that should not be able to access it? Law enforcement is taking steps to capture incriminating evidence for prosecution for offenses that are considered grooming or for sending pornography over the internet. How can we keep our children safe from predatory actions based on miss-information and lies? The discussions of safety concerns need to be discussed with children, helping the child understand that some people lie about who they are and pretend to be their friends. When internet conversations become personal and private information is asked to be revealed, an alert in one’s mind should be triggered.

8. Conclusion New Age Criminal 8 Internet programs put the public at risk for victimization, targeting the youth and those that give too much personal information on public sites that can be used against them. Dating sites on phones can link individual’s GPS locations to determine who is in a person’s immediate surroundings. Predators use this information to create an illusion of false pretense to lure potential victims into a vulnerable situation. It is the responsibility of the public to mandate changes to help deter criminal activity and to ensure the safety of those that are using modern technology on a day-to-day basis. Laws are encountering crimes committed on those divulging information on internet programs. Offenders are being subjected to different sentencing restrictions, including website restrictions and communications.

9. References New Age Criminal 9 Albanesius, C. (2010). Consumers Haven't Learned Not to Divulge Private Info Online. PC Magazine, 29(6), 1. Retrieved from Business Source Elite database. Bonnar-Kidd, K. (2010). Sexual Offender Laws and Prevention of Sexual Violence or Recidivism. American Journal of Public Health, 100(3), 412-419. Retrieved from Business Source Elite database. Chen, S., & Macredie, R. (2010). Web-based interaction: A review of three important human factors. International Journal of Information Management, 30(5), 379-387. doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2010.02.009. Depression; Research in the area of depression reported from Australian National University, Center for Mental Health Research. (2010, October). Psychology & Psychiatry Journal,149. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from ProQuest Health and Medical Complete. (Document ID: 2162326161). Williams-Thomas, M. (2009). How safe is your daughter? Paedophiles using the web to trap girls are often middle-class and married. And the police are struggling to cope… Retrieved November 12, 2010 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article- 1215189/How-safe-daughter-Paedophiles-using-web-trap-girls-middle-class- married-And-police-struggling-cope-.html