American Youth and the Internet

EU Kids Online: European Research on Cultural, EU Kids Online: European Research on Cultural, Contextual & Risk Issues regarding Children and the InternetContextual & Risk Issues regarding Children and the Internet

June 11, 2009London School of Economics and Political Science, London

David Finkelhor, Ph.D.David Finkelhor, Ph.D.Janis Wolak, JDJanis Wolak, JD

University of New HampshireCrimes against Children Research Center

Not the Same:

The Internet has risks

The Internet promotes risks

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The Internet as risk amplifier

• Makes youth more vulnerable to predators• Promotes risky sexual behavior• Encourages suicide/anorexia• Threatens academic & physical

development• Promotes bullying, crime & extremism

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More sexual victimization?

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Juvenile Sexual Victimization Trends, Juvenile Sexual Victimization Trends, 1993 - 2005

Source: Source: National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), each year, for number of incidents; Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC) calculations for rates.

Victimizations:

*Note: Known offenders are family members or acquaintances; unknown offenders are strangers or unidentified.

52% Decline

Rate

per

10,

000

Child

ren

(<18

)

*Source: NCANDS

53% Decline

Sexual Abuse Substantiations 1990-2006*:Sexual Abuse Substantiations 1990-2006*:Extrapolated to U. S. Child PopulationExtrapolated to U. S. Child Population

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More risky sexual behavior?

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Teenage Birth Rates, 1991-2005Teenage Birth Rates, 1991-2005

Source: Source: National Vital Statistics Reports: Sept. 25, 2001, Vol. 49 (10); June 6, 2002, Vol. 50 (10); Dec.17, 2003,Vol. 52 (10); Nov.23, 2004 Vol.53(9).

Rate

per

1,0

00 F

emal

es

(15-

17 y

rs o

ld)

Grades 9 - 12: Sexual intercourse with 4 or Grades 9 - 12: Sexual intercourse with 4 or more people, 1991-2005more people, 1991-2005

Source: Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey

30% decline1991-2005

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*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

99thth Graders: Ever had sexual intercourse, Graders: Ever had sexual intercourse,1991-20071991-2007

-16%1991-2007

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*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Grades 9 -12: Intercourse, past 3 months, Grades 9 -12: Intercourse, past 3 months, 1991-20071991-2007

-6%1991-2007

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*Source: Child Trends’ analyses of the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth

Girls: 1Girls: 1stst sexual experience age 15 or younger with sexual experience age 15 or younger with someone 3+ years older, 1995-2002someone 3+ years older, 1995-2002

-10%1995-2002

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*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Grades 9 – 12: Condom use by sexually active Grades 9 – 12: Condom use by sexually active students, 1991-2007students, 1991-2007

+35%1991-2007

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Promotes suicide?

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Teen suicide, 1990-2003Teen suicide, 1990-2003Ra

te p

er 1

00,0

00 T

eens

(15-

17 y

rs)

Source: Center for Disease Control: WISQARS (fatal suicides, all types)16

*Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention 17

Grades 9-12: Thought seriously about Grades 9-12: Thought seriously about attempting suicide, 1991-2005attempting suicide, 1991-2005

1212thth Graders: Felt sad or hopeless, Graders: Felt sad or hopeless,1999-20051999-2005

*Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention 18

Negative effect on academics and physical activity?

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*Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences20

88thth Grade: Grade: National mathematics National mathematics scores , 1990-2007scores , 1990-2007

*Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

K-8K-8thth Grade: After-school sports at least Grade: After-school sports at least once a week, 2001-2005once a week, 2001-2005

+10%2002-2005

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*Source: Monitoring the Future data, 1991-2006

88thth Graders: 4+ hours of television daily, Graders: 4+ hours of television daily, 1991-20061991-2006

-21%1991-2006

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Promotes bullying, crime, extremism?

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Ages 12-18: Criminal victimization at school, past 6 Ages 12-18: Criminal victimization at school, past 6 months, months, 1995 - 2005

Percent TotalTotal

Source: Source: Dinkes, R., Forrest Cataldi, E., Kena, G., & Baum, K. (2006). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2006 (NCES 2007-003/NCJ214262). Washington, DC: US Departments of Education and Justice.

60% decline1995-2005

*Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the national Crime Victimization Survey, 1999-2005

-15%1999-2005

Ages 12-18: Targets of hate words at school, Ages 12-18: Targets of hate words at school, past 6 months, 1999-2005past 6 months, 1999-2005

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*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Grades 9-12: Physical fight in the past year, Grades 9-12: Physical fight in the past year, 1991-20071991-2007

-16%1991-2007

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*Source: Monitoring the Future data

88thth Graders: Marijuana use, past 30 days, Graders: Marijuana use, past 30 days, 1996-20061996-2006

-42%1996-2006

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Could the Internet be protective?

• Reducing boredom and alienation• Changing patterns of risky offline

exploration• Increasing detection of risky behavior and

conduct problems

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Other explanations for improvements

• Economic prosperity• More effective social problem intervention• Psychiatric medications

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Implications for Research

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Study Internet risk in context of all risk

• Examine totality of harms– E.g., online bullying as an aspect of bullying

• Test whether activity patterns contribute to overall risk and risks in specific contexts– For both online and offline activities

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Common definitions of risk and harm in online and offline

contexts

• Online and offline bullying• Online and offline sexual solicitation• Online and offline sexual crimes

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Measure and differentiate the very serious portion of the risk

spectrum

• Not just casual sexual solicitation• Not just any mean language• Not just any exposure to pornography

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Measure whether “risks” result in real harms

• Use accepted measures of harm• Capture populations most likely to

experience harm• Reconsider use of “risk” unless involves

criminality or empirical associations with harm

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Enjoy…

• The vibrancy of the youth online culture• The opportunity to contribute to

discoveries about childhood and the modern world

• The pleasures of good colleagues

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Crimes against Children Research CenterUniversity of New Hampshire

david.finkelhor@unh.edujanis.wolak@unh.edu

www.unh.edu/ccrc