
This course will discuss cutting edge research on the harm of exploitation to youth from the internet. This kind of exploitation includes the creation of child pornography which is traded and sold online; online streaming; luring children and adolescents into relationships where they willingly send nude pictures; and organized sex rings used for creation of child pornography.
Research on this burgeoning area of harm to children and adolescents is only beginning, but it is important for therapists to be updated about those current trends, the harm that can come to youth from this source, the widespread nature of this type of exploitation and some of the legal ramifications.
Through case examples, the participants will learn trauma treatment principles that are effective and those that are not as effective with this population, and the special problems that can arise from working with these victims who feel that their trauma never ends as the pictures of their abuse can remain online indefinitely.