‘In the Name of Children’: An Exploratory Online Ethnographic Study of Paedophile Hunters and Locating the Tacit Societal Responses to Paedophiles and Vigilante Justice.

The focus of this study is to locate societal responses in relation to the paedophile and the ‘Paedophile Hunter’. Utilising a symbolic netnography, the researcher has attempted to identify what causes people to support or reject this form of vigilante justice. Drawing upon: the relevant literature;, various aspects of vigilantism; childhood;, the sexualised culture of youth; neoliberalism and child sexual abuse contextualise this critical discussion. From the outset and throughout, the researcher would like to highlight that they are not implying an excuse for paedophilia or child sexual abuse, but rather attempting to create a well-needed critical discussion surrounding the tacit and complex understanding of child sexual abuse