| Abstract: |
Nearly 24 million youth, ages 10 through 17, were online regularly in 1999. Large numbers of young people, when on the Internet, are encountering sexual solicitations they do not want, sexual material they did not seek, and people who threaten and harass them. A national survey described in this paper and administered to 1,501 young people, ages 10 through 17, confirms many of these stories. It represents the first scientifically based window into the risks youth face on the Internet, particularly unwanted sexual solicitations and pornography. It includes information on how families and young people are addressing matters of danger and protection on the Internet, and suggests that although these unpleasant experiences affect a large number of youth, few families do much about it. The report questions how to temper some of the drawbacks of the Internet to protect young people, and highlights the need for public and private initiatives to raise awareness and provide solutions. It suggests that strategies to respond to the problem would aim to reduce offensive behavior, better shield young people from its likely occurrence, increase the level of reporting, and provide more help to youth and families to protect them from any consequences. (Contains 20 figures, 8 tables, and 4 references.) (JDM) |