A child's innocence can sometimes be stolen by another child.
- A youth justice social work supervisor in Outagamie County described an emerging trend she is seeing: Minors younger than 17, having watched graphic sexual content online, are sometimes re-creating what they saw and committing sex-related crimes against other children in the process.
- Psychologist Lisa Strohman said the trend is real. She said that if youth chronically view graphic sexual content, those images can become a model for how to act, and they might imitate it.
- Daniel Rothman, a clinical psychologist, said there hasn't been much research on whether viewing graphic sexual content can lead a minor to commit a sex crime.
Lauren Cowell, a youth justice social work supervisor in Outagamie County, has seen a trend in crimes like sexual abuse or child pornography that are carried out by children younger than 17.
“We are starting to see a trajectory in which youth are coming to our system, having offended on another, but they themselves have not been victim of a sexual act or a sexual assault,” Cowell said.
Earlier this year, Cowell described to an Outagamie County committee the trend she's seeing.
“It’s really that these youth are being exposed to such harmful materials online, and are re-creating some of these behaviors,” Cowell said to NBC 26.
Psychologist Lisa Strohman said the trend is real.
She said that if youth chronically view graphic sexual content, those images can become a model for how to act, and they might imitate it.
There is a program in Outagamie and Winnebago counties called Youth who Sexually Offended.
It is meant for minors under 17 who have been referred on charges like sexual assualt or child pornography, Cowell said, and includes individual and group counseling.
She said the program has not seen an increase in the number of youth offenders overall.
But she added this is an issue far beyond northeast Wisconsin.
“It is youth that, are victims in some ways because they're exposed to harmful materials online, but they're role playing that, or they're re-engaging in that types of behaviors, but have never been victimized,” Cowell said.
“This is a nationwide issue that we are faced with, and it isn't just about youth being exposed to sexualized materials online, it's about that bigger picture of social media and the way our youth are interacting with one another and how they're connecting these things and forming relationships.”
Children Hurting Children
Elizabeth Letourneau is the director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse.
Children under the age of 18 commit about half of all sexual offenses against children, Letourneau said.
And in the U.S., the peak age for committing an offense against a young child is 14, she said.
Letourneau said children around that age:
- Might not understand consent,
- Might not know graphic images of children are illegal, and
- Might not understand boundaries with younger children
She said children should be taught all of this.
“Child sexual abuse is preventable, not inevitable,” she said.
Research on the Topic
NBC 26 asked clinical psychologist Daniel Rothman about the possible connection between young people watching graphic content and a possible path to committing sex offenses.
“I don't know that we have the answer yet, through research anyway,” Rothman said.
‘There's no one type of kid or one source of that kind of behavior that explains sexually abusive behavior."
He said there hasn't been much research on whether viewing graphic sexual content can lead a minor to commit a sex crime.
Protecting Children in 2024
Back in Outagamie County, Cowell talked about trying to make sure children and teens don't victimize another child.
She mentioned a behavior that should lead to some questions from parent or caregiver to a child.
“I think if you are aware that your youth or your child are watching pornographic materials at a high frequency, that doesn't mean that it will lead to offending behaviors, but it would be a red flag for me to say, ‘What is this about? What is the unmet need? And how do I counter that with education?’”
She said in 2024, it's about realizing children need to be protected in new ways
“I think we tend to overprotect our children in the real world, but we under protect them in the digital world. And we as caregivers, as adults have to be really intentional about having conversations about what kids are exposed to,” Cowell said.
Psychologist Lisa Strohman said the trend is real.
She said that if youth chronically view graphic sexual content, those images can become a model for how to act, and they might imitate it.
Note:
More resources for parents, caregivers, and children are listed on the Moore Center for the Prevention Child Sexual Abuse website.
RAINN operates a national sexual assault hotline, offering help for victims of sexual assault.
Resources available by county are listed here.
Sexual abuse can be reported to your local police or sheriff's department.
