– Much of what happens on the internet and via social media is desired and perfectly OK. It is part of today’s youth culture, says Lars Roar Frøyland. – But at the same time, there is also a lot of unwanted stuff online. Frøyland is a sociologist with a doctorate in psychology, and has worked extensively with sexual abuse of children. Especially digital abuse. – We almost have to count on children exploring their sexuality online, he says. news told on Saturday about what could become one of the biggest abuse cases in Norwegian history. On the computer of a man from Nordland, the police have found over 500 recordings that may show abuse of children via the Omegle website. Often peers who are behind the Police in Norway reveal more and more similar cases. The statistics from Kripos show an enormous increase in the number of possible abuse cases that are forwarded to the various police districts for further investigation. – Society has significant challenges related to the sexual exploitation of children on the internet. The extent to which there is actually an increase in such incidents, or whether we have become better at detecting them, is difficult to say. That’s what Helge Haugland, section leader at the section for internet-related abuse at Kripos, says. Often it can be about children thinking they are talking to people their own age, says Lars Roar Frøyland at Oslo Met. – But then there has been a grown man at the other end, he explains. But that it is only grown men who commit abuse or unwanted acts online is not true, according to Frøyland. – When young people are asked about unwanted sexual experiences online, in most cases it is their peers who are behind it. – Why is it like that? – It is difficult to answer. After all, this is a period where sexual curiosity and the desire to explore take over. If you combine that with a slight lack of maturity, and a low threshold for doing things digitally that you might not want to do face-to-face, you can have unfortunate events. Frøyland that it seems that young people experience fewer unfortunate sexual experiences as they get older and more mature. – It is important to emphasize that this type of unfortunate experience is different from being directly exposed to abuse. It could, for example, be about experiences linked to sexual images, or nagging and sexual requests. How will you talk to the children? Kristine Stemnes is one of the investigators in the Sobi team of the police in Nordland. The group only works with sexual abuse of children on the internet. She believes it is important for parents to talk about these challenges regularly. – The parents must follow along. They must talk to children and young people. Talk about online presence and what you do online, says Stemnes. – I encourage parents to be curious. It may also be a good idea to be open with your children about your concerns about what they may encounter online. But it can be difficult to know how to talk to your children about this. INVESTIGATOR: Kristine Stemnes in the police in Nordland works to uncover abuse of children on the internet. Photo: Ola Helness / news In addition, there are countless social platforms online, where unwanted incidents can occur. And what should you do if you spot something suspicious?
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– Must expect that children explore sex online – news Nordland
