(649)INTERNET, MINORS AND SEXUAL ABUSE. A CIRCULARPHENOMENON

摘要

Nowadays, new Internet technologies are rapidly changing the usual communication habits, especiallyamong the youth. Therefore, communication tools such as instant messaging, forums or socialnetworks have been quickly assimilated by this group of users and by minors in particular. Most ofthem very much prefer these tools to socialize with other people. However, these new relationalinterfaces entail some risks.One of the risks are sexual offences to minors through the Internet, a social phenomenon that is beingconsolidated as a public problem needing more and more a deep intervention (or regulation). A varietyof present studies show that when minors use the Internet, they may become a vulnerable individual.From our point of view, the youth is active in both kinds of interactions (sexual and cybernetic). In thisrespect, our research insists on the double relationship provided to the youth by the universe ofInternet, which we will call “circular phenomenon”. In other words, Internet is conceived as aninteraction space where a series of risks can be found, but at the same time, as an interaction spacefor the prevention of these risks.In this communication, we will present the situations of sexual abuse to minors through the net and thepossible intervention, evaluating the political options available which are not excluding: repression,surveillance or prevention. We will give our reflections placing them within the education framework,as a basic activity for the prevention of these risks.