[LINK] Ars: Online sex predators prefer IM, chat rooms ...

[Roger Clarke]

>Online sex predators prefer IM, chat rooms to social networks
>By Nate Anderson | Published: February 06, 2008 - 07:45AM CT
>http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080206-online-sex-predators-prefer-im-chat-rooms-to-social-networks.html
...
>  ... a new study in Pediatrics, the official
>journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Michele Ybarra and
>Kimberly Mitchell used data from 1,588 10- to 15-year-old Internet users
>to investigate online sexual harassment, and what they found was
>actually quite disturbing.
>
>In the last year, 15 percent of all the kids
>surveyed reported an "unwanted sexual solicitation online." Most of
>these never turn out to be more than an unwanted message on the computer
>screen, but still, there's plenty to be said for serious parental
>involvement with younger kids' computing habits.
>...

So let me get this straight:  online life is prettymuch like real 
life, except that the over-sexed ones are a bit further away from 
you.  Boy that really is "actually quite disturbing".

Ars has degraded to be just another trashy publications outlet.


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

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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