WestEd’s Justice & Prevention Research Center partnered with Boston University to evaluate technology-based training programs for law enforcement investigators, helping to improve training quality and to build the evidence base for fighting digital crimes against children.
The Challenge
Online child exploitation is growing, and the problem is complex. Unlike offline cases, digital crimes can involve anonymous perpetrators operating across the globe targeting multiple victims at once. Rapid advances in mobile technology and widespread, unsupervised internet use among young people make these cases even harder to investigate.
Hundreds of thousands of investigators have received training to handle these cases, but rigorous evaluation of that training has been scarce. As technology evolves and digital evidence grows more complex, the field needs ongoing assessment to ensure training is effective and keeps pace with the threat.
How We’re Taking Action
We conducted three evaluations of law enforcement training programs focused on internet crimes against children (ICAC) and other digital crimes.
Evaluation 1: Assessing National ICAC Training Providers
In partnership with Boston University’s Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Cybersecurity (CCIC) the team evaluated training courses delivered by three national providers over 3 years, from October 2019 through September 2022. The study drew on data from 37 courses and nearly 9,000 trainees, examining curriculum quality and delivery. We also focused on how faithfully training was implemented. Pre- and post-tests measured gains in knowledge and skills, and 6-month follow-up surveys and interviews tracked how investigators applied what they learned on the job. A cost study rounded out the analysis, exploring the relationship between training costs and outcomes. Funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this evaluation—one of the first of its kind—directly informed future grantmaking and program decisions supporting ICAC task forces nationwide.
Evaluation 2: Supporting Continuous Improvement of CCIC’s ICAC Training
Our team evaluated five ICAC training courses developed by CCIC across four delivery cycles. Training cycles took place over a 1-year period from March 2023 to March 2024. Pre- and post-assessments measured knowledge and skill gains. Post-training surveys, trainee interviews, and direct observations assessed training quality. Findings were shared with the training team after each cycle, enabling real-time revisions and supporting continuous program improvement.
Evaluation 3: Extending the Approach to Internet-of-Things Training
Building on the design used in the second evaluation, our team applied the same approach to assess and refine a training series focused on Internet-of-Things investigations across four delivery cycles from March 2025 through January 2026. These evaluations were funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
Together, the three evaluations add meaningful evidence to a limited research base, shedding light on what makes technology-based training effective and how it can be continuously strengthened.
Resources
- Boal, A., Russo, S., Sutherland, H., Choi, K., MacDougall, P. & Petrosino, A. (2023). A national evaluation of internet crimes against children task force training: Final report. WestEd.
What Sets Our Work Apart
Expert Partnerships, Field-Informed Evaluation Frameworks
We build strong partnerships with cybersecurity and technology training experts, applying practical, field-informed frameworks across multiple evaluations of technology-based training for law enforcement and digital investigators.