Getting the offender to pay Donald Findlater Director of Research and Development The Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Outline Overview of Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) and Stop It Now! UK & Ireland Information on our experience of working with Internet offenders and their families Services developed for Internet offenders and their families by Stop It Now! and LFF

LFF Public Protection Services -High Risk Male Sex Offenders – case consultancy etc* -Female Sex Offenders – assessment, co-work, support* -SOPO applications -“Putting the Public in Public Protection” -Circles of Support and Accountability* -Stop it Now! UK & Ireland – campaign/helpline* -Internet offenders and Families – Inform and Inform+ also -Monitoring software for home computers plus related services -* Provided by funding from Ministry of Justice

The Stop It Now! Helpline The Stop it Now! Helpline began operation in June 2002 We have had a total of 16,240 calls to the helpline (up until December 2009) and 7,866 new callers

Stop It Now! `Targets: – Adult abusers and potential abusers: to encourage them to recognise their behaviour as abusive and seek help to change. Family and friends: to encourage them to recognise the signs of abusive behaviour in those close to them and to seek advice about what action to take. Parents of young people with sexually worrying behaviour : to encourage them to recognise signs of abusive behaviour in their children and seek advice about what to do.

Internet related calls to Stop it Now!

Internet Related Calls

Common problems for internet offenders and their families Bail timings (a few months to 2 years) – uncertainty and instability arising from this Offender being asked to leave the family home Offender losing job - financial implications Losing the family home Custody – partner left to manage family and disclose to others? Media interest (impact on family, especially children) Disclosure to children and extended family Acknowledging and dealing with ongoing risk

Services for Internet Offenders

What is SECURUS? PC monitoring product that allows schools to Identify: – Bullying or threatening behaviour – Visits to inappropriate internet sites – Cyber-slacking – Predator grooming – Signs of depression or suicide Control PC use – Applications – Times – Users – groups Web logs Block individual sites AUP display/acceptance

How does it work? Plug in and play appliance Monitors PCs for set key words/phrases (not key logging) Saves a screen capture every time a violation occurs

How does it work? Monitors PCs for key words and phrases relating to : – Bullying – Racism – Pornography – Predator Grooming – Drugs – Weapons – Hacking/Downloads – Gambling – Inappropriate Language/SMS – [Bespoke Words & Phrases]

Offender Monitoring using Securus Pilots completed with Surrey and Hampshire Police Surrey Police monitoring 30 RSOs, including 15 on SOPOs Cumbria & Hertfordshire Police purchased hardware/software LFF monitoring 23 RSOs for Hampshire & Sussex Police plus 4 for Probation/YOT LFF monitoring 33 individuals following arrest, benefits – individual, partner/family, police and promotes accountability Monthly charge £16 - £35

Experience & Developments Surrey Pilot – 3 “concerns” of 12 Hants Pilot – 2 re-offences of 15 Surrey/LFF anecdotal evidence Pilot with West Mercia Police and RIPA?? Hostels pilots Prisons/YOIs Libraries

INFORM +

“Education Programme” For those admitting accessing indecent images of children on-line – must be arrested or convicted (police aware) Pre-programme interview 10 X weekly sessions (2.5 hours each) Up to 9 participants Individuals pay to attend - £700/£150

Aims of Inform + To provide information to aid understanding of internet offending and accessing indecent images of children To encourage participants to explore their personal involvement with internet offending, in a supportive group setting To consider practical and realistic methods of self-management/control

Inform + content Session 1 – Introductions and ground-rules – Levels of control (continuum exercise) – Modified Finkelhor – Homework

Inform + content Session 2 – Offence cycle presentation – Footsteps exercise – Homework

Inform + content Session 3 – Fantasy – Stimulus and arousal – Appropriate/Inappropriate fantasy – Fantasy range – Fantasy patterns – Homework

Inform + content Session 4 – Relationships/disclosure – Disclosure role play – Value of relationships – Strengths and weaknesses in relationships – Homework

Inform + content Session 5 – Sexuality and Relationships – Social skills – Personal relationship situation – Homework

Inform+ content Session 6 – Addiction and compulsion – What is addiction/compulsion – Ten criteria for problematic online sexual behaviour – Homework

Inform + content Session 7 – Addiction and compulsion – Impact on life – Gains and losses – Homework

Inform+ programme content Session 1 – Introduction/outline/contracting Models of offending behaviour Session 2 –Offending models cont’d Session 3 – Fantasy in offending Session 4/5 – Addiction/compulsion/habits & collecting behaviours Session 6/7 –Relationships and social skills Disclosure ……..

Inform+ content Session 8 – Victim empathy – What is it, when do we feel it and what stops us feeling it? – How do I see children in the images – Victim empathy materials – Homework

Inform + content Session 9 –Relapse prevention and lifestyle change – What is Relapse prevention? – Risky behaviours/strategies for coping – Purpose and needs of internet use – Facing anxiety – Homework

Inform + content Session 10 – Relapse prevention and lifestyle change – Meeting needs – The person you would like to be – Future contact – Feedback – Evaluation

Common themes arising from INFORM + participants Dominant theme: “If only I’d known the consequences…” Regret – family impact, career, stigma Self-control – experience of viewing as ‘addictive’ Fears – disclosures, reprisals, the future Anger – self, the authorities, the Internet itself, ISPs, sense of disproportionality Self-esteem – stigma, labels

Responding to the families of Internet offenders

Frequently asked questions include: What kind of thing has my partner been looking at? Was he ‘lured’ in? Is he a paedophile? Does my husband / partner represent a danger to our own children? Will police / children’s services take my children away from me? Who needs to know? How do I tell my children? What is my legal position if I suspected/knew he offended and I did not tell the police? Is this my fault? How did I not know? Why did he look at these images? What is going to happen to him and our family? Is it ok if I still love them? Why am I being punished for something I did not do? What should I do?!

Aims of INFORM To provide factual information about child pornography and the Internet To provide the means by which participants can better understand the process of Internet offending To examine risk associated with this behaviour To look at practical strategies for establishing and maintaining a culture of safer Internet use in future To provide a safe place for participants to discuss the impact on themselves and their families and make plans for their futures

INFORM group content Session 1 – Introductions; facts & myths; the legal process; FAQs Session 2 – The Internet and models to understand offending behaviour Session 3 – Introduction to issues of risk; issues & concerns arising for group members following models of offending input; the continuum of denial; disclosure to others

INFORM group content Session 4 – Family impact issues; risk management; moving forward; tools for safer Internet use in the future After 2 week break: Session 5 – Review of issues discussed on the programme; discussion of any outstanding issues; reflections on the course; endings and identification of future support

Themes arising within INFORM Dominant theme: Why did he do it? What to do about the relationship? View of relationship viability tends to fluctuate markedly during the life of the programme and beyond Practicalities – impact issues for partner’s job; impact of Social Services involvement for children & wider family, financial, travel, etc… Disclosure – Fears of reprisals, ‘guilty by association’, impact upon social contacts

Inform and Inform + story so far…. Started 2004, 324 Inform + participants 97 Inform participants Surrey, Bristol, Birmingham….Sheffield …..Scotland January 2011, via Stop! Scotland

Thanks for your attention Leaflets! Donald Findlater Tel: