Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of nurses, physicians, and other health and legal professionals involved in the treatment and care of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Statement of Need/Program Overview

Clinicians need further training regarding the six types of child sexual exploitation, recognizing that often more than one type of abuse exists in these types of cases. The role of the Internet and communication technology, particularly 3G and 4G technology allow for easier victimization of children and a less likely occurrence of apprehension and subsequent prosecution. Emerging research underscores that the victim impact is worse in child sexual exploitation than in child sexual abuse, primarily because of recurrent nature of the abuse and the likelihood that these represent a multi-offender case in many types of sexual exploitation.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Explain the six types of child sexual exploitation.
• Discuss the history of internet child sexual exploitation in the US and why the term, "information and communication technology" (ICT) crimes against children is a more universal term provided regarding these crimes, by the United Nations.
• Discuss offender dynamics in ICT crimes against children.

Faculty

Sharon W. Cooper MD, FAAP

CEO of Developmental and Forensic Pediatrics, P A, Fayetteville, NC

Faculty Bio

Dr. Sharon Cooper is the CEO of Developmental and Forensic Pediatrics, PA a consulting firm which provides medical care, research, training and expert witness experience in child maltreatment cases as well as medical care for children with disabilities. Dr. Cooper spent 21 years in the Armed Forces retiring as a colonel, and has for the past several years, worked in both the civilian and military arenas in child abuse and developmental pediatrics. She holds a faculty position at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. She is an instructor at the Army Medical Education Dept. Center and School at Ft. Sam Houston, TX where she provides multidisciplinary training in all forms of child maltreatment to health care providers, law enforcement, attorneys, judges, therapists, chaplains and social workers.