Are Social Networking Sites Endangering Young Teens? Study Finds Maybe Not

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Youth may be more
likely victimized while using instant messenger and visiting chat rooms than
while using social networking sites, new research this week reports.
The study, conducted by child health researchers Michele Ybarra of
Internet Solutions for Kids and Kimberly Mitchell of the University of New
Hampshire, set out to look at the places online where youth are most likely to
experience sexual solicitation and harassment. The researchers, whose study
is published in Pediatrics, found that among the almost 1600 children and
adolescents 10-15 years-old surveyed nationally, 4% reported experiencing an
unwanted sexual solicitation and 9% reported being harassed while on a social
networking site. Solicitations were reported 59% more often in instant
messaging however, and 19% more often in chat rooms than social networking
sites. More surprising, harassments were reported 96% more often in instant
messaging than in social networking sites. "Are victimizations happening in
social networking sites? Yes," Ybarra explains, "but they're happening with
greater frequency in instant messaging and chat rooms."
The authors say the results serve as a warning for parents not to focus
exclusively on social networking sites. "Internet safety is not just about
whether your child is on MySpace or not. You should know what your children
are doing on MySpace and Facebook. But you also need to know what your
children are doing in school, after school, at parties, at the mall, online -
basically all environments in which they engage. You can't just focus on one
place and assume that your job is done."
An estimated 15% of children and adolescents are targeted by unwanted
sexual solicitation each year, including being asked to talk about sex,
provide personal sexual information, or engage in sexual behavior online when
they do not want to. Depending on the type of harassment and the age of the
children surveyed, 9-30% of youth are harassed yearly. Current events have
raised public awareness and concern about the risks young people face when
they are in social networking sites. Most recent was the case of Megan Meier,
a teenager who committed suicide after her online 'boyfriend', an adult
pretending to be her age, broke up with her. In an effort to protect the
safety of children and adolescents, various laws have been proposed such as
requiring social networking sites to introduce software capable of age
verification.
The latest study is good news for parents, Ybarra says. The majority of
young people using the Internet are never harassed and never experience
unwanted sexual solicitation. This includes social networking sites. Adults
also need to understand that for many youth, Ybarra advises, their online
world is an extension of their offline world. "Young people experiencing
problems online are often experiencing problems offline as well. We need to
make sure that we are giving them the support and tools to healthfully
navigate across all environments, both online and offline."
SOURCE Internet Solutions for Kids

Joe Schwab, Internet Solutions for Kids, +1-877-302-6858,
joe@ISolutions4Kids.org