m

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

The Ascendancy of Social Media on

Pedophiles in their Search for

a Possible Victim

Taba, Corrine Ryza D.

Taba, Gehanna Lin C.

Morong National High School – Junior High School

Morong
School Division of Bataan
(June 2023)
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction

Context and Rationale ………………………………………………………...3-4

Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………...4-5

Research Question …………………………………………………………….5-6

Hypothesis…………………………………………………………….……….6

Review of Related Literatures …...…………………………………………....6-10

II. Methodology

Type of Research ………………...………………………………………. ….11

Participant and Sampling Methods ...………………. …...….……………….11-12

Sources of Data ………………..……….…………………………………….12

Instruments ………………………….……………...………………...…........12-13

Data Collection Procedure …………………………………………………...14

Data Analysis………………………………………………………………... 14

References………………………………….………………………………...15-16
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

INTRODUCTION

Context and Rationale

Sexual violence against children has been a talk in our society since then. Due to people’s

ignorance of the severity of sexual assault on children, others failed to pay attention to this social

issue, which is made it more tragic by the fact that the victims are children. News that are related up

to this sort of concerns are regularly covered by dating rumors, corruptions, scandal, and other

current issues which is not good since pedophilia in our present situation should not be ignored.

According to Brown, G. MD. (2021), pedophilia is a recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies,

sexual urges or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child, it is also a clinical term

but legally a term for child molesters. They target young boys, young girls, or both but only attracted

to children. In light of this, pedophilia is a significant issue that has to be acknowledged in order to

give children an opportunity to be protected against pedophiles.

Additionally, pedophilia has been a misunderstood issue and has grown into one of the

world's most serious crimes. Some people think that pedophilia may be brought on by childhood

sexual abuse. Although this may contribute to the development of the illness, various environmental

and genetic factors may also be at play. As stated by Telloian, C. (2022), Genetic and epigenetic

variables, variations in brain structure, hormones, developmental variances, and childhood

experiences all contribute to the development of pedophilia. It has been indicated that people who

have previously suffered sexual abuse may be less likely to have sexual encounters that are mutually

beneficial and may rely more on hostile or objectifying encounters.

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

As of now, pedophiles had been prowling through various social media platforms and

looking for their possible victim thanks to the process of ongoing technological growth and

advancement. The method that pedophiles use in social media sites is by fabricating their identities,

such as by altering their age on a specific account (13 years old or younger), and by adding more and

more children so that they may communicate with them. Part of protecting children from pedophiles

means pausing before we post. "It’s just safer to not put your entire life on social media” (Correa, M.

2019). With this, social media is truly a scary place and will never be suitable for children.

The researchers found that many people are already making jokes on social media sites,

particularly Facebook, about things they are unaware are pedophilia-related or similar to what

pedophiles do. In light of this, the authors of this study made the decision to further explore the

details of pedophilia's operation on social media and the methods that pedophiles employ to locate

their victims.

Statement of the Problem

Images of child sex abuse have reached crisis proportions on the internet, spreading at

unprecedented rates in part due to the failure of technology platforms and law enforcement

organizations to keep up with the problem. But the images and online communities can help erode

inhibitions further, drawing pedophiles into more frequent or more aggressive acts, Dr. Bourke said.

“What you see, in their search histories,” he said, “is that they learn how to evade law enforcement,
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

they become more confident, and they begin to use cognitive distortions to overcome their moral

inhibitions” (Carey, B. 2019). This simply indicates that social media has become uncontrollable to

the point where anyone can continue to commit crimes without anyone noticing, despite the fact that

those crimes required an immediate solution for the protection of others, particularly children who

may be victims of pedophilia. Due to the fact that it is widely used, and it is one of the most useful

tools available. In reality at all, with the exception of babies and war-torn countries, the vast majority

of the world's population is active on at least one social networking platform.

Furthermore, because many social media platforms are frequently used by a large number of

people, it may indicate that it can produce various types of danger or be a cause of danger, such as

pedophilia. Which primarily affects children who utilize various platforms as a new method of

having fun, but little do their parents realize is that the majority of children explore and can get into

contact with someone who has bad intents, usually pedophiles.

Research Questions

This goal of this study is to assess how pedophiles can find their victims through social

media. This aims to better understand how a pedophiles’ mind works in finding its new victims. This

study will attempt to answer the question: How did social media became a way for pedophiles to

look for their possible victims?

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

Specifically, it will seek to answer the following questions:

1. What drives pedophiles to have a sexual feeling towards children?

2. How children aged 13 and below can be a victim of pedophilia through social

media?

3. How does childhood trauma affect the mind of sexual abusers or pedophiles?

Hypothesis

The hypothesis states the significance of social media for pedophiles to find their possible victims:

Null Hypothesis (Ho): There is no significant relationship between pedophiles in finding

their possible victims through social media.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Diagnosis of Pedophilia

According to Brown, G. MD. (2021), pedophilia is a form of paraphilia because it causes

harm to others, and it is considered a disorder. The age of the people involved determines whether

sexual attraction or participation between two people is called pedophilic disorder. In some
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

countries the person involved in a pedophilic disorder can be 16 or older and at least 5 years older

than the child. Many pedophiles have or develop a substance use disorder or

dependence and depression. They often come from dysfunctional families, and marital conflict is

common. It was also stated that many were sexually abused as children. Although they are

frequently confused with child sexual abuse and child sexual assault, this is not always the case.

Since pedophilia is defined as a sexual attraction for someone, this does not imply that they always

sexually abuse children. In fact, according to Stelzmann, D., Jahnke, S. et al. (2020) an unknown,

but most likely substantial number of people with a sexual preference for children never commit

sexual offenses, and an estimated 40–60 percent of sexual offenses against children are not

committed by people with pedophilic interests. It is considered a sin, but pedophilia is never a crime

until one rape or molest the child.

Parents as Perpetrators of Online Exploitation Against Children

Today, many social media platforms serve as the primary source of information and can alter

our perceptions of the world. One out of every three or four children from six to sixteen will have

experienced sexual abuse. Many have been molested by their parents, relatives, moms' live-in

partners, neighbors, friends, and sex tourists. Many parents sexually abuse their children online in

live sex shows over the internet, which internet service providers (ISPs) accept and enable, all for

filthy money to enable the sexual enjoyment of foreign pedophiles (UCA News, 2022). Images of
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

abused children are also sold online to pedophiles by the child's parents or relatives for sexual

satisfaction. There are even live child abuse sex shows available. Most of the time, it is due to a lack

of financial resources that parents are willing to sell their own child to strangers in order to make

money.

Lack of Actions

Online child abuse, selling recordings of children online to pedophiles, and other forms of

online exploitation against children will be less likely if telecommunications providers prohibit and

stop allowing child abuse images to be posted on various social media platforms. According to the

Charity Liberate Children, it is estimated that 10 million children are trafficked for sexual

exploitation around the world today and they have an average age of 12 to 14 years old. The abuse of

the internet enables and allows this. The executives and employees of PLDT, Globe and Dito allow

the passage of child sexual materials apparently without a qualm of conscience (UCA News, 2022).

They refuse to install filtering software despite the fact that the 2009 anti-child pornography law,

officially known as Republic Act (RA) 9775, requires them to do so. “I discovered the cover-up by

authorities of a syndicate selling children as young as nine years old to US sailors in 1982 and

exposed it in the media, only to be denounced and threatened for doing so” is also stated as an

example of media companies being silenced to speak the truth (UCA News, 2022).
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

Social Media Threats

Things have changed considerably since many of today's new parents likely first became

acquainted with social media. According to Pew Research Center, 72% of Americans and 97% of

youths use social media now, and the most popular social media platforms can be the most dangerous

to children. Age-inappropriate content, sexual exploitation, scams, and cyberbullying are all potential

hazards that children may face. Pedophilia is one of the dangers that children may face if they are

exposed to social media. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, reports

of online child predator events increased by more than 97% in 2020. Furthermore, according to the

FBI, each perpetrator may sexually extort dozens, if not hundreds, of young victims.

It can begin with a simple friend request or message. Predators use assurances and

ostensibly shared interests to manipulate children. They later take advantage of their inherent

curiosity and venture into sexual terrain. Through this "grooming," they eventually earn trust and

exploit their victims (Hillary, B., 2021)

Effect of Social Media

Every few months, another breaking story about a social media influencer or celebrity

caught preying on minors emerges. However, the problem of pedophilia on social media is not

limited to attractive young influencers. This problem with pedophiles on social media is not

restricted to a single platform but affects many of the most popular social media networks. In March
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

10

of last year, HuffPost published an article about how easy it is for pedophiles to uncover and

combine seemingly innocent recordings of young children for their own sadistic delight. Algorithms

are used by YouTube and other social media platforms to display related videos or postings.

TikTok and Instagram, for example, utilize algorithms to display users’ comparable material

based on their interactions and likes. This can result in pedophiles recommending harmless videos to

the wrong individual, thus developing a pedophilic niche. The problem is not with the content itself

but with the algorithm's continual proposals for more stuff. However, pedophiles do not just consume

anything created by or containing minors; they can also easily contact them. It isn't always as public

as Haynes duetting tiktoks or a YouTube commenter. When it comes to preventing pedophiles from

directly reaching out to naive children, who don't often realize who they're talking to, social media

privacy settings are a major concern.

Instead of developing their own procedures, social media businesses frequently rely on

individuals reporting harmful information. Companies with a huge user base have the ability to

advance machine learning and artificial intelligence. The algorithm, however, cannot be modified to

avoid pedophile abuse. Social media corporations should work with petitioners to propose legislation

to address this issue, (Bostaph, M., 2021)

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

11

METHODOLOGY

I. Type of Research

A qualitative research approach will be investigated in this study. The survey method was

employed by the researchers in this strategy to determine whether the null hypothesis would be

rejected or accepted. This will reveal how some people perceive how pedophiles find their way

through their victims.

II. Participant and Sampling Methods

The participants of this research study are students of different grade levels from grades 7–

10. Hence, the researchers will use the non-probability method. Non-probability sampling is a

method of selecting random samples from a population. Non-probability sampling is a sampling

approach in which the researcher chooses participants based on his or her subjective judgment rather

than random selection. Purposive sampling will be used by the researchers as the sort of non-

probability sample used in research investigations. Purposive sampling is a non-probability sampling

approach in which researchers use their experience to select certain volunteers who will aid the

study's objectives. These participants have distinct characteristics that the researchers must consider

when analyzing their study topic. In other words, the participants in this study will be picked on

purpose by the researchers. The researchers will select their participants on purpose to get to know
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

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the students who are addicted to various social media platforms, mainly Facebook, and have

witnessed some pedophilic occurrences that have occurred through that site.

III. Sources of Data

The researchers will select five (5) individuals at random from each grade level; levels 7-10,

to interview and collect data using questionnaires prepared by the researchers. Furthermore, the

researchers plan on reaching out to other teachers in order to learn their perspectives on the topic, so

that the researchers can collect more data for the study. This will enable the researchers to conduct

the study instrument correctly and receive the most precise data.

IV. Instruments

In choosing the research instrument, the researchers observed the students who are addicted

to any social media platforms. Most of the students are addicted to Facebook and Facebook is one of

the social media platforms where most pedophilic incidents happen. In addition, the students have

probably observed different pedophilic incidents that have happened on that social media platform.

With that, the researchers decided to use the questionnaire as the research instrument to gather

information and to know how students think about these incidents. A questionnaire is a sort of

research tool made up of a series of questions meant to extract important information from

respondents. A questionnaire also consists of a series of questions or items designed to elicit

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

13

information about the respondents' attitudes, experiences, or opinions. The online questionnaire is the

specific questionnaire that the researchers will employ. An online questionnaire is a collection of

questions meant to collect survey data from a specified audience or group of people. Online

questionnaires allow participants to complete surveys at a time that is convenient for them and

provide them with a pressure-free environment in which to submit answers to questions that they

might be uncomfortable answering in a face-to-face interview.

Possible contents of the questionnaire:

1. How do you make use of social media? To obtain trustworthy information? To communicate with

others or to share information?

2. Do you think social media is suitable for children whose age range from 6-10 years old?

3. How comfortable are you in sharing private information through social medias? rate from 1-10.

4. Is social media a reliable source of information? Explain.

5. How comfortable are you with publishing photographs online knowing that other people will save

them on their phones? Rank from 1 to 10. 1 indicates that you are very uncomfortable, and 10

indicates that you are fine with it.

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

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V. Data Collection Procedure

Online questionnaires will be used as the research tool for this study, and they will contain

particular questions about students' personal experiences with socializing and interacting on social

media. Since the researchers' question is somewhat specific and cannot be answered with a simple

yes or no, it will be much simpler to complete the online version of the questionnaire than to print it

out and distribute it to the individual study participants. Since the questions can simply be submitted

online and the responses are quickly obtained, it will be much more convenient for the researchers.

The researchers can quickly acquire information for their study on the growing number of pedophiles

on social media by asking online questions.

VI. Data Analysis

In this study, the researchers will use Thematic Analysis which is a method used in

analyzing a Qualitative type of Research. A thematic analysis is a way of studying qualitative data

that entails reading over a set of data and looking for patterns in the meaning of the data in order to

find themes. It is frequently used to describe a group of texts, such as an interview or transcripts. In

addition, it is comparable to a literature review, which is a critical examination and evaluation of

existing research on a specific topic.

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

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REFERENCES

Introduction

Brown, G. (2021). Pedophilia. Retrieved June 6, 2023 from

https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/mental-health-disorders/paraphilias-and-paraphilic-disorders/

pedophilia

Carey, B. (2019). Preying on Children: The Emerging Psychology of Pedophiles. Retrieved June 7,

2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/us/pedophiles-online-sex-abuse.html

Correa, M. (2019). Pedophiles want photos shared on social media. Here's what to know before you

post a picture of kids. Retrieved June 6, 2023 from

https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/pedophiles-are-looking-for-photos-of-your-kids-on-social-

media/285-c69166b1-7387-48ac-ae6d-cb53d907562a

Review of Related Literature

Diagnosis of Pedophilia

Brown, G. (2021). Pedophilia. Retrieved June 6, 2023 from

https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/mental-health-disorders/paraphilias-and-paraphilic-disorders/

pedophilia
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Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG

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Stelzmann, D., Jahnke, S. et al. (2020). Media Coverage of Pedophilia: Benefits and Risks from

Healthcare Practitioners’ Point of View. Retrieved June 8, 2023, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7460489/.

Parents as Perpetrators of Online Exploitation Against Children

UCA News (2022). The Philippines' secret pandemic of child sexual abuse. Retrieved June 8, 2023,

from https://www.ucanews.com/news/the-philippines-secret-pandemic-of-child-sexual-abuse/96695.

Social Media Threats

Back, H. (2021). 8 Common Threats to Kids on Social Media. Retrieved June 12, 2023, from

https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/common-threats-to-kids-on-social-media/.

Effect of Social Media

Bostaph, M. (2021). WHY WON’T SOCIAL MEDIA ADMIT IT HAS A PEDOPHILIA

PROBLEM? Retrieved June 14, 2023, from https://buzzsawmag.org/2021/03/30/why-wont-social-

media-admit-it-has-a-pedophilia-problem/.
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG
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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG
 m

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BATAAN
MORONG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SABANG, MORONG