Gender Differences in Factors Influencing Offending, Victimization and Overlap in Youth Digital Sexual Crimes

This study examines gender differences in the factors influencing offending, victimization, and the overlap of these experiences in youth digital sex crimes, using survey data from the Korean National Youth Policy Institute collected in 2021. A total of 2,675 respondents were classified into four groups based on their experiences with digital sex crimes: non-experienced, victim-only, offender-only, and victim-offender overlap. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify significant predictors.The findings revealed significant gender differences across the victim-only, offender-only, and victim-offender overlap groups. Among male adolescents, offline meetings were strongly associated with all three groups. In contrast, for female adolescents, factors such as age and exposure to unsolicited messages were significant predictors for the victim-offender overlap group, with even stronger associations observed in the victim-only group. Protective factors, including parental attachment, teacher attachment, and family involvement, generally showed limited effectiveness in preventing digital sex crimes.This study highlights the interaction between gendered power dynamics in digital contexts and youth digital sex crimes, offering critical insights into their interconnected nature. The findings underscore the differential impact of influencing factors by gender, reinforcing the need for gender-sensitive prevention strategies and targeted interventions to address youth digital sex crimes effectively.