Internet Facilitated Rape: A Multivariate Model of Offense Behavior

Almond, Louise, Mcmanus, Michelle Ann orcid iconORCID: 0000-0002-0095-1071 and Chatterton, Hannah (2020) Internet Facilitated Rape: A Multivariate Model of Offense Behavior. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35 (21-22). pp. 4979-5004. ISSN 0886-2605

[thumbnail of Author Accepted Manuscript]
Preview
PDF (Author Accepted Manuscript) - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

325kB

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517718187

Abstract

In recent years there has been a significant increase in individuals reporting they have been raped by someone they have met through the internet (IFR). Previous literature has primarily focused on child victims, hence, the overriding aim of this study is to further our understanding of IFR in terms of overt crime scene behaviour. The sample consisted of 144 single IFR cases and two comparative samples of age-matched non-IFR offenders (confidence approach and surprise approach). Thirty-eight crime scene actions were coded as either present or absent for each offence. Findings suggest that the platforms IFR offenders use to meet their victims were not suggestive of the behaviour they were likely to display. In terms of specific offence behaviours, the IFR and confidence approach samples were considerably similar and both samples were comparatively different from the surprise approach cases. A smallest space analysis of the IFR sample revealed three distinct themes of behaviour with 71% of cases being assigned to a dominant behavioural theme. The practical and theoretical implications of the findings will be discussed.


Repository Staff Only: item control page