Internet, help or hindrance?

[Hope]

It has been announced that Internet Watch took down 68000 pages of pictures showing child abuse of all forms during the last year.  Unfortunately, this is a fairly small proportion of the total.  BBC Breakfast (21/04/16) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36091424

Has the internet simply made the transmission of this stuff easier, or do the figures suggest that the number of people watching this stuff has increased over the years?  Which ever how can we, as a society, help them let alone reduce the number of sites?

Should we even be trying to help them?

[Leonard James]

Of course we should try to help them. Children have nobody to turn to but us, and all forms of child abuse should be pursued ruthlessly and the culprits soundly punished.

[floo]

Of course we should try to help them. Children have nobody to turn to but us, and all forms of child abuse should be pursued ruthlessly and the culprits soundly punished.

I agree.

My husband and I were discussing kids and the Internet this morning, and we were saying how very grateful we are that we didn't have it to contend with when our daughters, now in their 40s, were growing up.

[Hope]

Of course we should try to help them. Children have nobody to turn to but us, and all forms of child abuse should be pursued ruthlessly and the culprits soundly punished.

So, how should we be helping the perps?  I'd be interested to hear your opinion.

[Brownie]

If we knew the answer to that one, Hope, it would be done with no hesitation.

[Hope]

If we knew the answer to that one, Hope, it would be done with no hesitation.

Perhaps ideas from non-experts could help jump-start the thinking.  Members of the board have been quite happy to do so with other issues.

[Étienne d'Angleterre]

Perhaps ideas from non-experts could help jump-start the thinking.  Members of the board have been quite happy to do so with other issues.

Not quite sure what you are asking? Help the perps?

[Brownie]

Yes, Hope wants to know if we have any ideas how to help them.

I don't.   When I was younger, and less jaded, I probably would have wanted to and maybe tried to if I came across anyone who admitted it to me.  However I don't think anything I could say or do would be successful, certainly not long term.

It's quite possible that a young person might get into some bad internet habits and then get out of them with a bit of willpower.  The ones who are entrenched in the habit and have been so for years are a real problem, even if they stopped they would be likely to start again if they are hardened.  Would anyone believe in them anyway?

So I've no suggestions and would be interested to hear if anyone else has.

[Hope]

Not quite sure what you are asking? Help the perps?

Precisely, Stephen.  If we purport to be human beings, oughtn't we to be seeking ways to help those who committ sin/wrong-doing so that they are able to be productive members, as opposed to destructive members of society?  Or are you like Floo who has, in the past, suggested that restorative justice - as this approach is called - has no place in our justice system?  Restorative justice may include medical intervention, counselling, and various other elements.

[Étienne d'Angleterre]

Precisely, Stephen.  If we purport to be human beings, oughtn't we to be seeking ways to help those who committ sin/wrong-doing so that they are able to be productive members, as opposed to destructive members of society?  Or are you like Floo who has, in the past, suggested that restorative justice - as this approach is called - has no place in our justice system?  Restorative justice may include medical intervention, counselling, and various other elements.

Clearly we need to deal with people who cause harm to others in society. The question of how we best do that is a complex one.

FYI, I don't support punishment, such as imprisonment, simply for the sake of revenge, although I accept that in certain circumstances, such as someone harming a child, then I would likely want that.

Not sure I want people to be "productive" members of society, but simply to allow others to live their lives as they see fit.

Any intervention must be based on protecting other members of society from people who wish to harm them and assisting those who wish to change.

For those who seek to harm but show no desire to change, I would suggest keeping them away from the people they wish to harm and trying to demonstrate to them the harm that they cause until they have desire to change. Obviously this does not just apply to paedophiles.

Anyway you seem to have some ideas that Floo disagrees with. I can't comment unless you outline what those views are.

[Brownie]

Castration (which doesn't work apparently because the desire to dominate is still in the mind), hanging them up by their "dangly bits"?  That sort of thing.

We do need to help these people but to do so there has to be some understanding which would entail entering into their thought processes.  A very dangerous thing to do and something which even freaks out professionals, certainly not something most of us would want to try.  There's also the fact that child abusers are extremely manipulative and anyone trying to help could be manipulated.

I'd love to know how to help them stop permanently.

[Étienne d'Angleterre]

Castration (which doesn't work apparently because the desire to dominate is still in the mind), hanging them up by their "dangly bits"?  That sort of thing.

Not very sophisticated ideas to my mind.

We do need to help these people but to do so there has to be some understanding which would entail entering into their thought processes.  A very dangerous thing to do and something which even freaks out professionals, certainly not something most of us would want to try.  There's also the fact that child abusers are extremely manipulative and anyone trying to help could be manipulated.

I'd love to know how to help them stop permanently.

I agree. One for the professionals, I don't mean Body and Doyle.

Only when you understand the drivers for a behaviour can you hope to do something about it.

[Hope]

Anyway you seem to have some ideas that Floo disagrees with. I can't comment unless you outline what those views are.

'Historically' (in terms of this board) I have suggested that far more offenders ought to be being worked with so as to stop them re-offending.  This can include NOT sending the less serious offenders to prison but using community-centred punishments that both encourage them to learn new, or develop existing, skills - or concentrates on far more efficient educational programmes whilst in prison.

[Sebastian Toe]

If we purport to be human beings, oughtn't we to be seeking ways to help those who committ sin/wrong-doing so that they are able to be productive members, as opposed to destructive members of society? 

'Historically' (in terms of this board) I have suggested that far more offenders ought to be being worked with so as to stop them re-offending.

Should we include 'sinners' in there or just leave it at offenders?

[Hope]

Should we include 'sinners' in there or just leave it at offenders?

In the context of the original post - which was talking about restorative justice - 'offenders' was and remains the appropriate word.  The fact that they are sinners is not relevent to this discussion because not all 'sinners' are sent to jail - in fact most probably never see the inside of a courtroom from the perspective of someone under trial.

[Sebastian Toe]

In the context of the original post - which was talking about restorative justice - 'offenders' was and remains the appropriate word.  The fact that they are sinners is not relevent to this discussion

..so you mentioned it as a bit of a red herring then?

those who committ sin

[Brownie]

Hope, how do you think we can help these unfortunate people?  So far many have tried and are still trying but a large proportion of offenders go on to re-offend.