Pronoun Usage in Online Sexual Predation

Abstract

We investigated pronoun usage by sexual predators in their online interactions with "decoys" (i.e., adults identifying themselves as children). Computerized text analysis was conducted for 561 instant messaging conversations between contact-driven solicitation offenders (CDSOs) and decoys. CDSOs not only used significantly fewer first-person and more second-person singular pronouns than the decoys but also used more second-person pronouns than adult romantic partners discussing their courtship. The other-focused nature of CDSOs' text messages is consistent with theories of the luring process positing predators' emphasis on making their targets feel special to initiate the cycle of entrapment.