A new study published in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine has contradicted much of the common advice given by internet safety authorities. The behavior most likely to lead to victimization is not simply sharing personal information online. Communicating with strangers is far more dangerous, especially if the communication is sexual.
…the study found that talking with people only known online under certain conditions is associated with online interpersonal victimization, but sharing information is not.
“Aggressive behavior in the form of making rude or nasty comments or frequently embarrassing others, meeting people in multiple ways and talking about sex online with unknown people were significantly related to online interpersonal victimization,” they continue.
“With one in five youth who use the Internet reporting an unwanted interpersonal victimization in one year’s time, identifying effective Internet safety messages is an adolescent health issue of great importance,” the authors conclude.