Clinical and Psychological Features of Minor Victims of Cybergrooming

338

Abstract

In order to identify the risk factors of victimization and determine the clinical and psychological consequences of cybergrooming for underage victims, a pilot study was conducted. 40 underage girls aged from 8 to 18 years, victims of sexual abuse on the Internet, were examined. The state of various spheres of mental activity and the state of victims were retrospectively assessed at the time before they entered into communication with the offender, features of the criminal situation were studied, the consequences of violence and suffered abuse were identified and analyzed. The diagnostic complex included methods and techniques aimed at studying cognitive functions, individual characteristic and behavior. The method of studying documents (medical documentation, criminal case materials, including Internet correspondence of victims and offenders) was also used in the work. Statistical processing of the results was carried out by methods of descriptive statistics. Risk factors for girls to become a victim of cybergrooming were identified, and the immediate clinical and psychological consequences of abuse were described. Prospects for further research are described.

General Information

Keywords: cyber (online) grooming, Internet, sexual abuse, child victims, victimization, forensic psychological expertise

Journal rubric: Legal Psychology of Childhood

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2022120306

Received: 13.06.2022

Accepted:

For citation: Borisenko E.V., Dozortseva E.G. Clinical and Psychological Features of Minor Victims of Cybergrooming [Elektronnyi resurs]. Psikhologiya i pravo = Psychology and Law, 2022. Vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 66–76. DOI: 10.17759/psylaw.2022120306. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Elena V. Borisenko, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher, Department of Scientific and Methodological Support, Federal Resource Center for Psychological Service in the Education System, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Psychology of Child and Adolescence, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8864-1085, e-mail: nutskova@serbsky.ru

Elena G. Dozortseva, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Professor, Department of Legal Psychology and Law, Faculty of Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Senior Researcher, Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Psychology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation,Member of the editorial board of the scientific journal “Psychology and Law” member of the editorial board of the scientific journal “Psychological Science and Education”, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1309-0485, e-mail: edozortseva@mail.ru

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