[LINK] new acronym - BOTN

[Roger Clarke]

At 11:15 +1000 3/8/08, Jan Whitaker wrote:
>http://www.theage.com.au/national/net-blamed-as-10000-kids-turn-to-crime-20080802-3p00.html?page=-1
>Victoria Police say the escalation in juvenile
>crimes - ranging from break and enters to drug
>offences and assaults - is being fuelled by
>children's growing exposure to sexual and violent images on the internet.
>The head of the police youth affairs office,
>Inspector Steve Soden, said too many children
>were viewing inappropriate content on the
>internet and this, coupled with boredom due to a
>lack of community services on Melbourne's
>fringes, was behind the alarming rise in youth crime.

Assertion 1:
-   too many children are viewing inappropriate content on the [I]nternet,
     [in particular] sexual and violent images

Discuss:
-   the meaning of 'too many'
-   the meaning of 'inappropriate'
-   the meaning of 'on the Internet'
-   the evidence in support of the assertion 'too many'
-   the evidence in support of the assertion 'viewing inappropriate
     content on the Internet'

Assertion 2:
-   children's growing exposure to [it] is fuelling the escalation in
     juvenile crimes

Discuss:
-   the evidence of an escalation in juvenile crime
-   the evidence of a causal relationship between the two things


Further discuss:
-   whether policemen's [or anyone else's] unsupported assertions
     should be reticulated by the media without the slightest skerrick
     of scepticism, challenge or balancing information


-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
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Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW