Daphne Programme - Year 2003

Interim Report

Project Nr. JAI/DAP/02/004/YC

Title:

The development of a telehealth resource to support young people and adults who compulsively access Internet child pornography.

Start Date: End Date:

01.01.0331.12.04

Co-ordinating Organisation's name:

COPINE Project, Child Studies Unit, Department of Applied Psychology, UniversityCollegeCork.

Contact person:

Prof. Max Taylor

Name:

Prof. Max Taylor

Address:

COPINE, Department of Applied Psychology, UniversityCollegeCork.

Postal code:City:

N/ACork

Country:

Ireland

Tel No:Fax No:

+353 21 4904506+353 21 4270439

Email:

Partner Organisations' names and countries:

Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, Spain

Transcrime, University of Trento, Italy

  1. Aims of the project.

Research has established that a range of Internet processes can produce in the individual excessive and at times problematic Internet use, frequently related to sexual activity, and which may at times show addictive qualities. The most visible problematic area relates to accessing child pornography, and it is known that very many people become sexually involved with child pornography through the Internet. Factors such as ease of availability and quantity of child pornography, social and community involvement, and involvement with the psychological processes of picture trading contribute to this (Taylor and Quayle, 2002). Intervention with such people tends to be after their detection and arrest for illegal activity related to child pornography. However, at that point, damage is already done. This project seeks to offer early confidential psychological help to individuals who become aware of their problematic Internet behaviour with respect to child pornography, and who wish to change their behaviour. It will thereby reduce the numbers of individuals who might go on to eventually offend, either in terms of child pornography or contact offences.

The project’s specific objectives are to reduce access to Internet child pornography through web based:

-education material for potential offenders;

-self assessment tools;

-effective online self help strategies and materials;

-information about local thereapeutic resources.

The anticipated project results were:

1. A web based interactive resource for delivery of self assessment and self-help material.

2. A self assessment package for Internet and potential non-Internet delivery.

3. A brief intervention package designed for self administration (Internet and non-Internet deliverables).

4. A reduction in the number of people involved with child pornography on the Internet.

5. Heightened awareness of problematic Internet use in relation to child pornography by larger community.

  1. Implementation of the project: months 1 - 12
  1. Planned activities which were implemented included:
  2. initial project meeting between partners.
  3. creation of Steering Committee
  4. appointment of research staff
  5. development and completion of literature review
  6. offender interviews
  7. development of web resource
  1. Planned activities implemented earlier than scheduled:
  2. development of self assessment tools
  3. production of intervention material
  4. translation of web material into Spanish
  1. Planned aspects of project that were not implemented:

All planned activities to date have been implemented, although adaptation and translation of materials into Italian had to be completed through an alternative channel. This has also mean that while interviews with offenders in Ireland and the UK took place, no interviews with Italian offenders were possible.

  1. Problems encountered
  1. Liaison with one partner organization (Transcrime) was hindered by absence of original contact person due to pregnancy, and subsequent withdrawal of Transcrime from the project.
  2. Development of the web resource has proved to be more complex and demanding than anticipated. In particular, the creation of means to harvest web metric data has proved more complex than anticipated; to a large extend this is the result of the innovative self-assessment material included on the site.
  3. Given the nature of the activity, it was decided to locate the web resource away from the University server.
  4. Peer comments on the self help material resulted in considerably greater editing of material (for ease of readability and clarity) than anticipated.
  5. A number of agencies expressed interest in the material produced, which has involved more liaison with agencies than expected, but which prolong the viability of the web site after completion of the project.
  1. Results and impacts of the project

The project has now reached its halfway point. The results to date include:

-the establishment of an effective web presence

-the creation of a Steering Committee which has been able to share knowledge and information

-the dissemination of information to practitioners across disciplines

-the creation of self assessment tools

-the creation of self help modules

The impact of the results on our main beneficiaries (vulnerable children) cannot be evaluated until the completion of the project. However, the impact on beneficiaries such as other professionals has already been considerable, in terms of extending knowledge and making available materials.

  1. Dissemination and follow-up

Interim results have been disseminated to:

-our partner orgasnisations

-other professional agencies (both State and voluntary)

-non-EU organisations (mainly North American)

Dissemination has been possible through:

-an active, updated web presence

-conference papers

-newspaper and radio articles

-hyperlinks between the project web presence and other professional web presences (e.g. including NOTA, POLI|T).

Visability of results

-All activity has acknowledged support from the Daphne Programme.

-All assessment and intervention measures have acknowledged support from the Daphne Programme.

-Workshop activities have acknowledged support from the Daphne Programme.

-Our web presence acknowledges support from the Daphne Programme.

  1. Conclusions

At this stage, the project has achieved its expected degree of development, and in some areas has anticipated work scheduled for later. The web site is up and functioning ( and although not yet complete, site development is well within the anticipated schedule. Work has begun on the development of appropriate methods of evaluation and assessment of the impact and usage of the site. Translation of the self help material into Spanish and Italian has been completed.