Although the vast majority of youth online practice safe and appropriate behaviors, there are a subset of children who do become prey to online grooming. This Clinical Case Conference explores the case of a 15 year old girl, who is the oldest daughter of five siblings, with professional parents in an intact marriage. The family is deeply religious and involved with church. At age 15, the girl secretly became involved in an internet relationship with a man who posed as a 16 year old boy but who was actually a married 56 year old man. She was groomed for one year in an intense emotional and cyber-sexual relationship before she ran away at age 16 to live with her offender who resides in another country. The discussion provides seminar participants with an in-depth perspective on the complex clinical and legal challenges facing families and clinicians as social networking on the internet becomes an increasingly central theme in the psycho-social development of children.
Saturday, October 31, 2009: 7:30 AM-10:30 AM
Chair:
Co-presenters:
Sponsored by the AACAP
Disaster and Trauma Issues Committee