Copine scale
Encyclopedia
The Copine Scale is a rating system created in Ireland
and used in the United Kingdom
to categorise the severity of child pornography
. The scale was developed by staff at the COPINE ("Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe") project. The COPINE Project was founded in 1997, and is based in the Department of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland.
and child pornography
. In an article by professor Max Taylor
, one of the academics working for the COPINE project, it is stated that: "[t]he significance of this distinction is to emphasise the potential sexual qualities of a whole range of kinds of photographs (and other material as well) not all of which may meet obscenity criteria."
of the London Metropolitan Police, developed a typology to categorize child abuse images for use in both research and law enforcement. The ten-level typology was based on analysis of images available on websites and internet newsgroups. Other researchers have adopted similar ten-level scales.
The SAP document gives a detailed explanation of how the COPINE scale was adapted. It also states that the COPINE scale was intended for therapeutic use and not designed for use in court. COPINE category 1 (indicative) was left off the SAP scale because "images of this nature would not be classed as indecent." The board found COPINE categories 2 & 3 to be disputable as to whether or not they can be classified as indecent.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to categorise the severity of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
. The scale was developed by staff at the COPINE ("Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe") project. The COPINE Project was founded in 1997, and is based in the Department of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland.
Therapeutic
The COPINE scale was originally developed for therapeutic psychological purposes. More specifically, it is used to distinguish between child eroticaChild modeling (erotic)
Child erotica refers to any non-nude or semi-nude photographs and videos of children in sexually suggestive poses, and is also defined as any material relating to children that is used by any individuals for sexual purposes...
and child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
. In an article by professor Max Taylor
Max Taylor (psychologist)
Maxwell "Max" Taylor is a Forensic and Legal psychologist who initially specialized in the study of terrorism and who subsequently became involved in the study of sex offenders, returning later to the study of terrorism.-Life and career:...
, one of the academics working for the COPINE project, it is stated that: "[t]he significance of this distinction is to emphasise the potential sexual qualities of a whole range of kinds of photographs (and other material as well) not all of which may meet obscenity criteria."
Judicial
In the late 1990s, the COPINE project ("Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe") at the University of Cork, in cooperation with the Paedophile UnitPaedophile Unit
The Paedophile Unit is a branch of the British London Metropolitan Police Service's Child Abuse Investigation Command, based at Scotland Yard. It deals with organised crime and the manufacture and distribution of child pornography...
of the London Metropolitan Police, developed a typology to categorize child abuse images for use in both research and law enforcement. The ten-level typology was based on analysis of images available on websites and internet newsgroups. Other researchers have adopted similar ten-level scales.
| 1 | Indicative | Non-erotic and non-sexualised pictures showing children in their underwear, swimming costumes from either commercial sources or family albums. Pictures of children playing in normal settings, in which the context or organisation of pictures by the collector indicates inappropriateness. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Nudist | Pictures of naked or semi-naked children in appropriate nudist settings, and from legitimate sources. |
| 3 | Erotica | Surreptitiously taken photographs of children in play areas or other safe environments showing either underwear or varying degrees of nakedness. |
| 4 | Posing | Deliberately posed pictures of children fully clothed, partially clothed or naked (where the amount, context and organisation suggests sexual interest). |
| 5 | Erotic Posing | Deliberately posed pictures of fully, partially clothed or naked children in sexualised or provocative poses. |
| 6 | Explicit Erotic Posing | Pictures emphasising genital areas, where the child is either naked, partially clothed or fully clothed. |
| 7 | Explicit Sexual Activity | Pictures that depict touching, mutual and self-masturbation, oral sex and intercourse by a child, not involving an adult. |
| 8 | Assault | Pictures of children being subject to a sexual assault, involving digital touching, involving an adult. |
| 9 | Gross Assault | Grossly obscene pictures of sexual assault, involving penetrative sex, masturbation or oral sex, involving an adult. |
| 10 | Sadistic/Bestiality | a. Pictures showing a child being tied, bound, beaten, whipped or otherwise subject to something that implies pain. b. Pictures where an animal is involved in some form of sexual behaviour with a child. |
The SAP scale
The 2002 case of Regina v. Oliver in the Court of Appeal established a scale by which indecent images of children could be "graded". The five point scale, established by UK's Sentencing Advisory Panel and adopted in 2002, is known as the SAP scale. It is based COPINE terminology and is often mistakenly referred to as such.| 1 | Nudity or erotic posing with no sexual activity |
|---|---|
| 2 | Sexual activity between children, or solo masturbation by a child |
| 3 | Non-penetrative sexual activity between adult(s) and child(ren) |
| 4 | Penetrative sexual activity between child(ren) and adult(s) |
| 5 | Sadism or bestiality |
The SAP document gives a detailed explanation of how the COPINE scale was adapted. It also states that the COPINE scale was intended for therapeutic use and not designed for use in court. COPINE category 1 (indicative) was left off the SAP scale because "images of this nature would not be classed as indecent." The board found COPINE categories 2 & 3 to be disputable as to whether or not they can be classified as indecent.
See also
- Child pornographyChild pornographyChild pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
- Child erotica
- Internet pornographyInternet pornographyInternet pornography is pornography that is distributed by means of various sectors of the Internet, primarily via websites, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups...
- Tanner scale (physical development scale)
External links
- COPINE Project
- old link COPINE project (archived)
- UK Sentencing Guidelines (This sentencing advice is from 2002 and has been superseded by Sexual Offenses Sentencing Guidelines)