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Biography

Paige Horton is a student researcher studying Criminology and Criminal Justice at The University of Tampa. Her research interests center on victimization, child advocacy, and sexual abuse, as well as the social and legal landscapes surrounding criminal and juvenile justice. Her work focuses on understanding and addressing institutional harm in the criminal justice system, advancing violence prevention efforts, and protecting vulnerable populations from harm.

 Amanda Isabel Osuna, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Tampa. Her research qualitatively focuses on using vulnerability and trust frameworks to understand victimization experiences and experiences of institutional betrayal. She also focuses on how vulnerabilities might be compounded because of one’s intersectional identities, which may lead to an increased potential for harm.

Abstract

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI and deepfake technology, has introduced new challenges in the production and dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). While existing research has examined the technological and legal implications of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, less is known about how the public, especially young adults who are most likely to use AI technologies, perceive these developments. The present study addresses this gap by examining undergraduate student perceptions of AI-generated child sexual abuse material at a medium-sized private university in the Southeastern United States. Using data from a Qualtrics survey, this study employed a qualitative content analysis of the open-ended responses to explore how students define AI and deepfake technology, perceive associated risks, and identify potential prevention strategies. Three themes were uncovered: 1) understanding AI’s foundations, capabilities, and societal impacts, 2) perceptions of the blurred boundaries between human and AI-generated content, and 3) proposed preventive measures involving both individual responsibility and institutional regulation. Findings suggest that while students demonstrate a general awareness of AI’s risks, there is variability in their depth of understanding and proposed solutions. These findings have implications for educational initiatives, policy development, and broader discussions of ethical AI use and the prevention of technology-facilitated exploitation.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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