SWEDEN Children who become victims of abuse over the internet often blame themselves and very few tell anyone about their experiences. Few methods for helping these children have been developed, but slowly new knowledge is being gained. Recently children´s experts, researchers and decision-makers gathered at a large conference in Stockholm to exchange knowledge and experiences.

For three years, Linda Jonsson at BUP Elefanten, a child psychiatric unit specialising in treatment of children and adolescents who have been sexually and/or physically abused, has been working with The Online Project. The project is financed by Childhood and was created to gather knowledge about how children are affected by internet-related abuse with the goal of developing better treatment for children who have become victims of online abuse.

The conference in Stockholm was arranged to spread knowledge and to build networks between professionals who in their work meet children affected by online abuse.

– It was the first conference that has been arranged with a perspective on treatment for these children, and we have received a tremendous response from the participants, says Linda Jonsson.

She continues:

– Without the financial support from Childhood and our other sponsors, it would have been impossible to have a conference like this.

Young girls sell sex
In her work, Linda Jonsson has interviewed children who have been victims of online abuse, she has discussed the topic with specialists around the country, and she has created a Youth Network to gain more knowledge about how teenagers use modern information technologies.

18 year-old Anna is one of the girls that Linda Jonsson has interviewed. Anna, a smart girl living in a middle-class family, used to sell sex to older men that she met over the internet. She did it to be able to afford an expensive lifestyle, she told Linda Jonsson.

– Anna was very confident, and seemed to have the situation under control. She talked to me very openly about her selling sex, and how she found her clients. But when I asked her how it felt to have sex with the men she started to feel very uncomfortable, Linda Jonsson told the participants at the conference.

Maria is another girl who has been treated at BUP Elefanten. She met an older man over the internet and fell in love with him. She sent photographs of herself naked to him, and when he suggested web-cam sex she agreed. After a while she stayed home from school and had sex with a number of older men through her web-camera. Christina Warfvinge works as a psychologist at BUP Elefanten and treated Maria:

– It was like a drug, Maria told me. She couldn´t stop, Christina Warfvinge explained at the conference.

Children feel guilty
The fact that many victims of online abuse have played an active part in meeting the predators makes this kind of abuse complicated. The children often feel ashamed and guilty, and never talk to anyone about what has happened. Sitting at home by the computer gives a false sense of security which makes some children do and say things they´d never do in “real” life. The consequences can be hard to deal with, and although most children are well aware of what they should avoid on the internet, some takes risks anyway.

– All the girls that I have met at BUP Elefanten have felt very lonely, they have been looking for confirmation and have experimented sexually. Most of them say they never did anything against their will, and that they don´t feel bad, Christina Warfvinge said.

Their seemingly voluntary involvement makes it very hard to convince the children that they need treatment, although it is apparent that most children with this kind of experiences really need support. Getting over the feelings of shame and guilt, and to understand how the grooming-process works, takes a long time.

Adults need to be updated
Professionals working with victims of online abuse clearly need to understand how modern information technology works, and how young people use the internet in their everyday social contacts, Linda Jonsson emphasized.

– But the most important thing is to simply ask the children what they have been through. That way, they can at least not say that no one asked, Linda Jonsson encouraged the audience.

During the two-day conference, a number of researchers and experts from Sweden, the United States, Poland, the Ukraine, Russia and several other countries, presented their findings. In addition, and at least as valuable was the networking opportunities between the participants, Linda Jonsson points out. Many new ideas to future projects were born during the conference, she believes. Lindas work with The Online Project continues; this April a report about her findings from the first three years will be published, and the treatment of children at BUP Elefanten continues.

– Sweden is at the forefront when it comes to the field of children and online abuse. We need to keep this up and continue gaining new knowledge, Linda Jonsson says.

THE ONLINE PROJECT IN SWEDEN
Project: Assistance to child victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation
Location: Linköping and Sweden
Target Group: Children and youth victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation; children and youth exposing themselves to danger or exploitation through different kinds of self-victimisation on the internet; and professionals who come into contact with children from these two categories.
Co-operation with Childhood: Since 2005
The support is directed to: Salary for a project manager, travel expenses and administrative costs, workshops and education for professionals.

Author: Maja Svenonius