Nu nog de juiste conclusies trekken

Een nieuw onderzoek is gepresenteerd tijdens de 112de "Annual Convention" van de American Psychological Association (APA), in Honolulu.

• "Online sex abuse cases not characterized by deception, abduction and force, research shows."
• "Far from the stereotype of unsuspecting children kidnapped by strangers posing as people their own age, most young Internet sex-abuse victims are teenagers who know they're corresponding with adults interested in having sex, according to a new study. [...] Only 5 percent of the offenders tried to conceal that they were adults, and only 21 percent lied about their motives, mostly by promising love and romance."
• "Few offenders used force (5%) or coercion (16%) or abduction (3%) to sexually abuse their victims."
• "Half of the victims were described as being in love with or feeling close bonds with the offenders"

Nou nou, dat is positief nieuws, zou je zeggen. Blijkbaar is wetenschappelijk aangetoond dat het toch niet simpelweg gaat om monsters en slachtoffers! Dit gaat een revolutie teweeg brengen. Toch? Nee. Zie wat de conclusies zijn die worden getrokken: "According to the authors, the study has several implications for prevention. [The] data suggests that a major challenge for prevention is the population of young teens who are willing to enter into voluntary sexual relationships with adults whom they meet online. [...] They add that teenagers may benefit from being told directly about why such relationships are a bad idea and made to understand that adults who care about their well-being would not propose sexual relationships or involve them in risky encounters. [...] The authors also recommend training for law enforcement since some of the targeted youth may not initially see themselves as victims and may require sensitive interviewing in order to cooperate with investigators."

Hoe kan dit? Oh, wacht eens even, dit kan meespelen... "The research was funded jointly by the National Center on [for] Missing and Exploited Children and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention [...]" Hoe dan ook, onze conclusie: de uitkomsten van wetenschappelijk (statistisch) onderzoek zijn slechts welkom als deze passen in de heersende gedachtengang.

[Geraadpleegde bronnen:]

• [US, 01-08] American Psychological Association: www.apa.org/releases/online_sexabuse.html
• [US, 02-08] Boston Herald: news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=38189

bron: 'Nu nog de juiste conclusies trekken' door redactie NVM; Digitale Nieuwsbrief Vereniging MARTIJN; 14 augustus 2004