In 1998, the United States established the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to address the growing concerns about the privacy and safety of children under 13 when they are online. This law, which came into effect in April 2000, holds websites and online services that collect personal information from children accountable. It outlines specific requirements, including having a clear privacy policy and obtaining parental consent before gathering data from minors. Despite the law permitting children under 13 to share personal information online with parental approval, many websites, especially social media platforms, choose not to allow young users. The compliance requirements are both costly and labor-intensive, leading to this exclusion. Emerging from this context is a recent legislative development known as COPPA 2.0, or the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, introduced in 2023. This update aims to extend the protections of COPPA to include teenagers up to 16 years old. The origins of COPPA reflect concerns in the 1990s around e-commerce and data collection, specifically the lack of privacy policies on many websites. A notable case leading to COPPA’s creation involved the KidsCom website, which prompted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate allegations of unfair and deceptive data practices. This and other privacy concerns during the era set the stage for increased legal oversight of online privacy for children.

Efforts to mitigate and discourage crime are foundational to crime prevention strategies. These initiatives are primarily implemented by governmental authorities to lower crime levels, enforce laws, and uphold a robust criminal justice system. Respected entities in criminology and organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations, and national research councils have meticulously examined how different approaches influence the decrease of interpersonal crimes. Their joint consensus points to a necessity for government action that extends beyond traditional law enforcement. Focusing on risk factors that contribute to criminal behavior is not only more cost-efficient but also yields significant societal benefits. Public sentiment, as reflected in various surveys, aligns with this view, showing support for preventative measures over reactive ones. Irv Waller, in his publication "Less Law, More Order," recommends precise actions to reduce criminal activity alongside a legislative proposal informed by these findings. Complementing these ideas, the World Health Organization's 2004 guide outlines nine strategic recommendations. These include developing and monitoring national strategies for violence prevention, improving data collection, supporting research on violence and its consequences, advancing primary prevention methods, enhancing support for violence victims, embedding violence prevention within social and educational policies to promote equality, fostering collaborative information exchange, adhering to international treaties and human rights laws, and forming unified international responses to drug and weapon trafficking. Furthermore, these collective studies highlight the pivotal role of local municipalities in orchestrating strategies to address the underlying risk factors of crime, considering their unique position to effectively organize local responses.

Psychological abuse, also known as emotional abuse, is a damaging form of abuse that can lead to serious mental health issues such as anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. This kind of abuse is particularly harmful when there is an imbalance of power, such as in abusive relationships, and can manifest in various behaviors, including bullying, gaslighting, or workplace abuse. Individuals can even experience it in extreme cases of human rights violations where there is no chance for legal recourse, including cases of unlawful detention, wrongful accusations, and severe slander by state entities and the media. Professionals in mental health and research offer differing definitions for psychological abuse, but it is widely accepted that the terms "psychological" and "emotional" abuse can be used interchangeably unless they involve acts of psychological violence. Emotional abuse, in essence, encompasses all non-physical forms of abuse. It includes a range of behaviors from verbal assault and persistent criticism to subtler methods such as intimidation, manipulation, and never being satisfied, all aimed at controlling or undermining the victim. Emotional abuse can take many forms and typically falls within three main behaviors: aggressing, which includes name-calling and blaming; denying, which involves ignoring or refusing to communicate; and minimizing, which means downplaying or dismissing the victim's feelings. Although there isn't a concrete, universally accepted definition of emotional abuse, it clearly extends beyond verbal and psychological torment, creating a destructive impact on an individual's self-worth and emotional well-being.