The Internet is an exciting and evolutionary medium that has expanded and enriched the lives of millions.  Unfortunately, it has also resulted in offensive, distressing and sometimes dangerous online experiences for many young people.  A national survey involving a representative sample of youth ages 10 to 17 years old found:

• About one in five received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet in the last year.
• One in four had an unwanted exposure to pictures of naked people or people having sex in the last year.
• One in 33 received an aggressive sexual solicitation from a person who asked to meet them somewhere; called them on the telephone, sent them regular e-mail, money or gifts.

Based on the above statistics, it is estimated that several million young people age 10 to 17 get propositioned online each year. Even if only a small percent of these incidents result in unlawful sexual contact, it would still amount to several thousand youth being impacted.

The survey also found that two thirds of those solicited were female and that a quarter of those solicited were 10 to 13 years old.  Surprisingly, only a one fourth of those solicited told a parent or guardian.

(David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation's Youth. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2000)


Social Networking Sites

Recently, there has been growing concern about the increasing popularity of social networking sites (such as MySpace, Friendster, Xanga) by teens and pre-teens.  MySpace.com alone now has close to eight million users.   Youngsters log on for hours weekly to communicate with friends, create blogs, post photos, and to meet new people. Unfortunately, these websites also provide sexual predators with a wealth of personal information on thousands of children and provides access to the most vulnerable.

Although sites such as MySpace say users must be at least 14 years old and cannot post suggestive photos, middle school youth are creating websites in droves and some, mimicking older users, display provocative photos of themselves to grab attention and frequently add a few years to their online profiles. While MySpace’s terms say users cannot include telephone numbers, last names or addresses, users often provide other detailed information about themselves ( e.g., their photo, school, daily activities, locations frequented) which erases any attempt at anonymity.

Sexual predators use social networking sites and chat rooms to hide their true age, identity and motives for interaction. They spend time building trust with their victims by appearing “cool,” concerned and understanding.  In time, through manipulation and increased knowledge of the victim, predators start to introduce sexual topics and the possibility of meeting the youth face-to-face.


Characteristics of Vulnerable Youth

Research has shown that certain characteristics are common among young people who develop close relationships with those they have met online. Some of these characteristics include:

• Girls aged 14 to 17;
• Boys who have low communication with their parents and whose parents have little knowledge of their friends and where they spend their time;
• Youth in households with a high level of parent-youth conflict;
• Youth suffering from troubling life events, depression, or prior victimization;
• Youth who report high levels of Internet use.

(David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. "Escaping or connecting? Characteristics of youth who form close online relationships." Journal of Adolescence 26, 2003.)


Cyberbullying

While sexual solicitations and unwanted exposure to sexual material online are often cited as the key online dangers for youth, cyberbullying or online harassement has become a serious concern. In a 2005, MindOh!, an educational company that tracks youth trends, reported that nearly 80 percent of the young people surveyed had read or spread gossip online, and more than half had visited a website that included put downs of peers.

Cyberbullies’ strategies include such things as demeaning instant messaging;  cruel comments about peers; anonymous postings on blogs; stealing someone else’s screen name and sending embarrassing, hurtful messages to friends or crushes; and  forwarding private or sexually provocative images to those who were not intended to see them.

While cyberbullying covers a range of behaviors, sexual harassment is key among them.  Body rating, sexual putdowns, and spreading sexual rumors has moved beyond the school yard and cafeteria into cyberspace.  The anonymity of cyberspace and the incredible speed and reach achieved at the click of a key has made this form of sexual harassment particularly devastating for young people. 

Tragic news stories about vulnerable youth who committed suicide in response to sometimes unrelenting cyberbullying emphasize the need to address this critical issue. Unfortunately, cyberbullies rarely see or understand the harm done and all too often young people unwittingly disseminate damaging online content.


Protecting Youth From Online Dangers

Educating young people about online dangers is a critical step in reducing the risk of victimization by online sexual predators and cyberbullies. This also increases the likelihood that a victim will tell a parent or other concerned adult.

Resources:
http://netsmartz.org, provides a wealth of current information on internet issues and an array of educational tools. 

www.cybertipline.com provides national online reporting.

The Hawaii State Department of the Attorney General http://hawaii.gov/ag/hicac provides education and prevention resources to protect Hawaii children in cyberspace.