Routine Activities Theory. This theory in criminology holds that a crime involves three elements (a) motivated offenders, (b) unhardened targets, and (c) insufficient capable guardians. When it comes to on-line sexual predators, we assume the existence of an abundance of such motivated offenders, so we focus on hardening the targets and developing capable guardians.
Prevention programs will provide (a) Instruction on cyber-security threats (b)
Instruction about on line sexual predators and potential victims, grooming, and the process of victimization, (c) Youth role playing (two youths together; and one youth and one adult), (d) Discussion about communication between youth and parents, and (e) Discussion about youth and parental awareness of available cyber and educational strategies for target hardening.
Students will learn about the interactive model of aggression and “spin” theory
This includes three factors: cognitive, affective and physiological arousal, and how girls may fall into a trap by an apparently normative individuals to enter into a “spin-wheel” process that culminates in an act of sexual aggression against a her. The spin-wheel process may be stimulated by an innocent behavior of the victim, for example, “Hi on site!” when in interaction with an individual on site. Young girls and women must harden their target and be capable guardians to deny the offender this opportunity. Students will appreciate the true dimensions of this predatory phenomenon and victimization.