Sexting, Consent and Young People: Regulatory Challenges in the Digital Age

背景我的博士学位是第一个对北爱尔兰18岁以下年轻人(YP)的性短信和网络欺凌进行批判性分析的研究，其中包括专业人士和年轻人的声音。这篇论文考察了青少年中对等网络欺凌和性短信的性质和影响，并引发了关于定义和规范此类行为的重要问题。特别要指出的是，性爱短信应该在什么时候被归类为有害短信？最重要的是，博士扩大了目前对青少年性短信的理解，并提出了一种更微妙的方法，在适当地标记青少年性行为方面。博士认为，有必要超越将年轻人中的所有色情短信都定性为“有害的”，并指出监管框架面临的重大挑战，特别是刑法的局限性以及将年轻人识别为“受害者”和/或“犯罪者”。因此，性短信行为的连续体被引入，以提供一个有效的框架来对性短信行为进行分类。这一连续体的基础是关键的初步研究结果和对相关理论的批判性概述(见Beckett 2014；Ashurst和McAlinden 2015)，包括哈克特(2010)关于儿童和年轻人性行为的连续体。关于年轻人中性短信的学术研究极其稀少，虽然有一些基于英国的研究探索性行为的更广泛的复杂性(见例如RingRose等人)。2012；McAlinden 2018)，据我所知，到目前为止，NI内部还没有发表过关于性短信背景下同意的研究。拟议研究的目的因此，PDF将提供一个宝贵的机会，寻求澄清YP中性短信行为的一个重要和关键的维度：同意问题。PDF将允许我与13-17岁的YP进行2个新的焦点小组，并与公共和私营部门的专业人员进行5次后续采访，专门探索性短信中的同意问题。《青年法》的年龄范围很大，特别是在不同的法定年龄限制方面：16岁的性同意年龄，18岁可以合法发送裸照(性短信)的年龄，以及警方在处理涉及13-15岁的性犯罪案件时拥有的自由裁量权。这25%的额外研究将用于在我的博士研究(将于2021年5月完成)的基础上在专著中写下一章。此外，从PDF获得的数据将成为确定关键监管建议和更新的性短信连续体(最初在博士论文中列出)的“良好做法”报告的依据。目标(A)收集特别是关于年轻人对同意的理解的额外经验数据。这将有助于确定更广泛的同意问题如何影响YP如何定义和理解“探索性”和“剥削性”性行为，特别是在性短信的背景下。(B)利用PDF调查结果为“良好做法”报告提供信息，该报告将包括最新的性行为连续体和关键的监管建议。我的工作假设是，这份“良好实践”报告将指导和塑造运动，将“同意”作为性短信行为监管和立法框架中的一个关键特征。(C)除了《良好做法》报告，我还将利用访谈结果：(I)根据我的博士学位为专著撰写一章(这一章将提供对同意问题的更多概念性理解，并加强整体专著)；(Ii)就PDF中出现的关键主题撰写一篇文章，目标是一本领先的同行评议期刊(如《英国犯罪学杂志》)。(D)在一次国家和国际会议上宣传PDF调查结果，并为今后的合作项目发展国际网络。(E)在昆士兰大学的PDF会议结束时，传播PDF的调查结果(包括“良好做法报告”)。

Context My PhD is the first study to provide a critical analysis of sexting and cyberbullying among young people (YP) under 18 years in Northern Ireland (NI) which included professional and youth voices. The thesis examined the nature and impact of peer-on-peer cyberbullying and sexting among YP and prompted important questions regarding defining and regulating such behaviours. In particular: when should sexting among YP be categorised as harmful? Most importantly, the PhD broadens current understanding of sexting among YP and presents a more nuanced approach in terms of appropriately labelling sexual behaviours among YP. The PhD argues that there is a need to move beyond framing all sexting among young people as 'harmful' and draws out the significant challenges for regulatory frameworks, especially the limitations of criminal law and the identification of young people as 'victims' and/or 'offenders.' Consequently, a continuum of sexting behaviour is introduced to provide an effective framework for categorising sexting behaviours. The continuum was based on key primary research findings and a critical overview of the relevant theory (see Beckett 2014; Ashurst and McAlinden 2015), including Hackett's (2010) continuum on sexual behaviours among children and young people. Scholarship on sexting among young people is extremely scarce and while some UK based research exists which explores the broader complexities of the sexual behaviour (see e.g. Ringrose et al. 2012; McAlinden 2018), to my knowledge, there is no published research to date within NI on consent within the context of sexting specifically.Aims of Proposed ResearchThe PDF will therefore provide a valuable opportunity to seek clarity on a significant and crucial dimension to sexting behaviour among YP: issues of consent. The PDF will allow me to undertake 2 new focus groups with YP aged 13-17 years and 5 follow-up interviews with professionals across the public and private sector exploring specifically issues of consent within the context of sexting. The age range of the YP is significant, especially regarding the varying legal age limits: the age of sexual consent at 16 years, the age a person can legally send a naked image (sexting) at 18 years and the discretion police possess when dealing with sexual offence cases involving 13-15 year olds. The 25% additional research will be used to write a chapter in the monograph based on my PhD research (due for completion in May 2021). In addition, the data obtained from the PDF will inform a 'good practice' report identifying key regulatory recommendations and an updated continuum of sexting (as originally set out in the PhD).Objectives (a) To gather additional empirical data specifically on young people's understanding of consent. This will help identify how broader issues of consent can impact on how YP define and understand 'explorative' and 'exploitative' sexual behaviour, especially within the context of sexting. (b) To use the PDF findings to inform a 'good practice' report which will include an updated continuum of sexual behaviour and key regulatory recommendations. My working assumption is that this 'good practice' report will inform and shape campaigns to incorporate 'consent' as a key feature within regulatory and legislative frameworks on sexting behaviour. (c) As well as the 'good practice' report I will use the interview findings to: (i) write a chapter for a monograph based on my PhD (the chapter will provide a more conceptual understanding on issues of consent and strengthen the overall monograph); and (ii) write an article on a key theme emerging from the PDF targeted at a leading peer-reviewed journal (e.g. British Journal of Criminology). (d) To promote PDF findings at a national and international conference and develop international networks for future collaborative projects. (e) To disseminate the PDF findings (including the 'good practice report') at an end of PDF conference at QUB.