How Risky Are Social Networking Sites? A Comparison of Places Online Where Youth Sexual Solicitation and Harassment Occurs

In response to DOPA and inflated media reports of SNS harmfulness, Ybarra investigates online solicitation and harassment of youngsters. Her findings suggest that this type of site is not the most risky medium for adolescents. Instead, online predators and harassers more commonly use chat rooms and instant messaging (IM). A minority of youngsters are more frequently harassed and/or solicited, suggesting a minority of more vulnerable youngsters, which is in line with related literature coming out of CCRC. Ybarra suggests a “repositioning” of prevention efforts to more beneficial legislation, focusing on harassment rather than solicitation, increasing of safety policies (on SNSs and elsewhere), and consideration of psychosocial factors and general online behavior over the danger of specific technologies.