American Youth and the Internet EU Kids Online: European Research on Cultural, Contextual & Risk Issues regarding Children and the Internet June 11, 2009 London School of Economics and Political Science, London David Finkelhor, Ph.D. Janis Wolak, JD Janis Wolak, JD University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center

Not the Same: The Internet has risks The Internet promotes risks 2

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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 4

More sexual victimization? 5

Juvenile Sexual Victimization Trends, Juvenile Sexual Victimization Trends, 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 Children (<18) *Source: NCANDS 53% Decline Sexual Abuse Substantiations *: Extrapolated to U. S. Child Population 7

More risky sexual behavior? 8

Teenage Birth Rates, 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 1,000 Females (15-17 yrs old)

Grades : Sexual intercourse with 4 or more people, Source: Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey 30% decline

*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 9 th Graders: Ever had sexual intercourse, %

* Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grades 9 -12: Intercourse, past 3 months, %

* Source: Child Trends’ analyses of the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth Girls: 1 st sexual experience age 15 or younger with someone 3+ years older, %

* Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grades 9 – 12: Condom use by sexually active students, %

Promotes suicide? 15

Teen suicide, Rate per 100,000 Teens (15-17 yrs) 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 attempting suicide,

12 th Graders: Felt sad or hopeless, * Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention 18

Negative effect on academics and physical activity? 19

* Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences 20 8 th Grade: National mathematics scores,

* Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics K-8 th Grade: After-school sports at least once a week, %

*Source: Monitoring the Future data, th Graders: 4+ hours of television daily, %

Promotes bullying, crime, extremism? 23

Ages 12-18: Criminal victimization at school, past 6 months, Ages 12-18: Criminal victimization at school, past 6 months, PercentTotal Source: Source: Dinkes, R., Forrest Cataldi, E., Kena, G., & Baum, K. (2006). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2006 (NCES /NCJ214262). Washington, DC: US Departments of Education and Justice. 60% decline

* Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the national Crime Victimization Survey, % Ages 12-18: Targets of hate words at school, past 6 months,

* Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grades 9-12: Physical fight in the past year, %

* Source: Monitoring the Future data 8 th Graders: Marijuana use, past 30 days, %

Could the Internet be protective? Reducing boredom and alienation Changing patterns of risky offline exploration Increasing detection of risky behavior and conduct problems 28

Other explanations for improvements Economic prosperity More effective social problem intervention Psychiatric medications 29

Implications for Research 30

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 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

36 Crimes against Children Research Center University of New Hampshire