Sexual Harassment on MySpace Are Predators Lurking Around Every (Virtual) Corner?

1. Sexual Harassment on MySpaceAre Predators Lurking Around Every (Virtual) Corner?

2. Nancy Cheever, M.A.Assistant Professor, CommunicationsCalifornia State University, Dominguez HillsDoctoral Student, Fielding Graduate Universityand Larry Rosen, Ph.D.Professor, Psychology California State University, Dominguez Hills

3. Introduction • Media portray sexual predators as rampant on the Internet Dateline, NBC: ”To Catch a Predator” sexual predators are lured by decoy via chat rooms and subsequently questioned about the activity on national television and then arrested by police

4. Introduction “Social Networking Makes Protecting Kids Tougher for Cops” • Foxnews.com, June 23, 2006 “Sexual predators prowl Internet for prey” Tribune-Review News Service “Congress, MySpace Team Up to Fight Sexual Predators” • ABC News, April 21, 2007

5. Literature Review • Mitchell, Wolak and Finkelhor (2007) • decline in unwanted sexual solicitations between 2000 and 2005 • increase in online harassment & unwanted exposure to pornography among 10- to 17-year-olds between 2000 and 2005 • “Youth continue to encounter substantial numbers of offensive episodes online” (p. 124)

6. Literature Review • Pierce (2007) • Sampled 700 MySpace pages • 59% portrayed risqué or sexual poses • 17%/28% depicting nudity (male/female) • Over half the sites used profanity • One-third used sexual profanity • Sexual images most often on the pages of 14- to 15-year-olds

7. Method • Studies 2 & 3 • Asked about perceptions of sexual predators on MySpace • Asked about perceptions of media coverage of sexual predators on Internet • Parents and teen pairs • Study 2: N=267 • Study 3: N=342

8. Results Parents and teens “somewhat” or “very” concerned about potential problems, Study 2 _________________________________________________ Potential Internet Problem Parents Teens _________________________________________________ Sexual predators 83% 35% Social isolation 75% 15% Addiction to MySpace 72% 21% Addiction to the Internet 73% 17% Others posting personal info 82% 29% Others posting sexual pictures 88% 29% Others viewing sexual pictures 88% 38%

9. Opinions about prevalence of online sexual predators comparing Studies 2 & 3 _________________________________________________ Sexual Predators Parents Teens Study 2 Study 3 Study 2 Study 3 _________________________________________________ Prevalence Very rare 6% 3% 19% 11% Some, 31% 17% 46% 30% but not too many Quite a few 63% 80% 36% 59%

10. Opinions about media coverage of online sexual predators comparing Studies 2 & 3 _________________________________________________ Sexual Predators Parents Teens Study 2 Study 3 Study 2 Study 3 _________________________________________________ Media Coverage Underestimate 22% 26% 12% 11% Pretty close to truth 43% 47% 29% 39% A bit overblown 22% 18% 30% 29% Quite a bit overblown 8% 6% 13% 11% Blown out of proportion 4% 4% 16% 10%

11. Percentages of reported negative images on teen MySpace pages

12. Online problems, reactions and feelings, Study 3 _________________________________________________ MySpace Problems Study 3 _________________________________________________ Sexual solicitation 15% Reactions Reacted Appropriately 58% Ignored 32% Feeling Very/Extremely upset 16% Somewhat upset 33% Not upset at all 51%

13. Online problems, reactions and feelings, Study 3 ___________________________________________________ MySpace Problems Study 3 ___________________________________________________ Unwanted exposure to sexual materials 14% Reactions Reacted Appropriately 53% Ignored 37% Feelings Very/Extremely upset 19% Somewhat upset 40% Not upset at all 42%

14. Who gets approached? • Females more than males • On MySpace for more than a year vs. less than a year • Spending more time on MySpace • More MySpace friends • Feeling there are quite a few sexual predators on MySpace vs. feeling sexual predators are rare

15. Discussion • Study 2 • only 8% of the teens had an uncomfortable experience of a sexual nature, mostly from what they termed “perverts” • Study 3 • 15% of teens reported approached by sexual solicitor • in agreement with the 13% solicitation rate reported by Wolak, et al. (2006)

16. Discussion • One in seven MySpace teens receive some sexual solicitation • Nearly all reacted appropriately: • rebuffed the person • blocked him from their MySpace page • reported the incident to an adult • ignored the solicitation • Half were not upset by the experience • Media reported sexual predation is an overblown, fictionalized account of MySpace

17. Discussion Parents and teens differ on areas of concern • Parents more concerned about potential MySpace hazards • Differing perception of prevalence of sexual predators and the accuracy of media coverage of these predators

18. Conclusion View of MySpace different than what is portrayed in the media Unwanted sexual solicitation may not be as rampant on MySpace as the media proliferate It is not a place where unknown people ask for sex Episodes happen, but it is a momentary event that is quickly dismissed

19. Conclusion • MySpace may make adolescent transitions easier OR • May provide additional struggles as teens search for their identity

20. Recommendations • Parents should become more aware of what their teens are doing on MySpace • Parents and media should stop focusing on sexual predators and start assessing the MySpace actions of teens