A Modern Danger for Adolescents: From Online Flirtation to Sexual Abuse

Objective: The Internet is an important communication tool facilitating access to information. Use of social media has been rapidly increasing among young people in Turkey. Thus, adolescents could be regarded to be at risk of online sexual abuse. This study evaluates Internet use as a means of child sexual abuse, looking at the reasons and personal and familial characteristics. Method: The study was performed with 3429 cases that presented to the Child Follow-up Center with the claim of child sexual abuse between January 2011 and December 2015. The case files were reviewed retrospectively and it was determined that 135 children had met with the abuser via Internet. Results: The vast majority (94.8%) of these 135 cases were female and the victims’ mean age was 15.61 years. It was found that 71.1% of the victims were exposed to penetration, and it was detected that 40.0% of the victims had physical signs of abuse. In addition, 11.1% of the victims were found to be pregnant. Also, low levels of socioeconomic status (97.8%) and of parents’ education (59.3%) were identified as familial risk factors. Conclusion: Education about safe use of the Internet, dissemination of interventions against cyberbullying, and conscious Internet use in populations at risk can be useful in preventing potential negative outcomes.

Ergenler için modern tehlike: Çevrimiçi flörtten cinsel istismara

Amaç: İnternet bilgiye erişimi kolaylaştıran önemli bir iletişim aracıdır. Türkiye’de özellikle gençler arasında sosyal medya kullanımı hızla artmaktadır. Bu nedenle ergenlik dönemindeki çocuklar çevirimiçi istismara maruz kalma açısından riskli grupta yer almaktadır. Bu çalışmada cinsel istismara uğrayan gençlerde istismar aracı olarak İnternetin kullanımı, sonuçları, bireysel ve ailesel özellikleri incelenmiştir. Yöntem: Çalışma Ocak 2011-Aralık 2015 tarihleri arasında Ankara Çocuk İzlem Merkezine başvuran 3429 vaka ile yapılmıştır. Vaka dosyaları geriye dönük olarak incelenmiş, 135 çocuğun istismarcısı ile İnternet aracılığıyla tanıştığı tespit edilmiştir. Bulgular: Vakaların %94.8’i kız, yaş ortalaması 15.61’dir. Mağdurların %71.1’i penetrasyona maruz kalmış olup %40.0’ında istismara ilişkin fiziksel bulgu görülmüştür. Ayrıca mağdurların %11.1’inin gebe kaldığı saptanmıştır. Bununla birlikte, düşük sosyo-ekonomik düzey (%97.8), ebeveynlerinin eğitim düzeyinin düşüklüğü (%59.3) gibi çeşitli ailesel risk faktörleri belirlenmiştir. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, risk altındaki gruplarda güvenli İnternet kullanımı eğitimleri, siber zorbalıkla mücadele çalışmalarının yaygınlaşması ve sağlıklı flört ilişkisine yönelik eğitimler bu tür olumsuzlukları önlemede faydalı olabilir.

PDF

___

Blais JJ, Craig WM, Pepler D, Connolly J. Adolescents online: the importance of internet activity choices to salient relationships. J Youth Adolesc 2008; 37:522-536. [CrossRef]

Tuncer N. Internet: Children and laws. Turkish Librarianship 2001; 15:427-435. (Turkish)

Turkish Statistical Institute. Household Survey of Information Technology Use, 2016. http://www.tuik.gov.tr/ PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=21779. Accessed February 1, 2018. (Turkish)

Gunlu A, Ceyhan AA. Investigating adolescents’ behaviors on the Internet and problematic Internet usage. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions 2017; 4:75-117.

Wolak J, Mitchell KJ, Finkelhor D. Escaping or connecting? Characteristics of youth who form close online relationships. J Adolesc 2003; 26:105-119. [CrossRef]

Santrock JW. Adolescence. Siyez DM (Translation Editor) Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayincilik, 2012. (Turkish)

Dick RN, McCauley HL, Jones KA, Tancredi DJ, Goldstein S, Blackburn S, Monasterio E, James L, Silverman JG, Miller E. Cyber dating abuse among teens using school-based health centers. Pediatrics 2014; 134:1560-1567. [CrossRef]

Helweg-Larsen K, Schütt N, Larsen HB. Predictors and protective factors for adolescent Internet victimization: results from a 2008 nationwide Danish youth survey. Acta Paediatr 2012; 101:533- 539. [CrossRef]

Mitchell KJ, Becker-Blease KA, Finkelhor D. Inventory of problematic Internet experiences encountered in clinical practice. Prof Psychol Res Pr 2005; 36:498-509. [CrossRef]

Noll JG, Shenk CE, Barnes JE, Haralson KJ. Association of maltreatment with high-risk Internet behaviors and offline encounters. Pediatrics 2013; 131:510-517. [CrossRef]

Sklenarova H, Schulz A, Schuhmann P, Osterheider M, Neutze J. Online sexual solicitation by adults and peers-Results from a population based German sample. Child Abuse Negl 2018; 76:225-236. [CrossRef]

Wolak J, Finkelhor D, Mitchell K. Internet-initiated sex crimes against minors: implications for prevention based on findings from a national study. J Adolesc Health 2004; 35:424.e11-20. [CrossRef]

Kloess JA, Seymour-Smith S, Hamilton-Giachritsis CE, Long ML, Shipley D, Beech AR. A qualitative analysis of offenders’ modus operandi in sexually exploitative interactions with children online. Sex Abuse 2017; 29:563-591. [CrossRef]

Finkelhor D, Mitchell K, Wolak J. Online victimization: A report on the nation’s youth. Washington, DC: National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, 2000. https://files.eric.ed.gov/ fulltext/ED442039.pdf. Accessed February 1, 2018.

Demir I, Ozkoklu DP, Turgut BA. The role of locus of control and life satisfaction in predicting problematic Internet use among adolescents. Mersin University Journal of the Faculty of Education 2015; 11:720-731. (Turkish)

Erdur-Baker O, Kavsut F. Cyber Bullying: A new face of peer bullying. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 2007; 27:31- 42. (Turkish)

Eroglu Y, Peker A. Perceived social support from family and friends and cyber victimization: an investigation with structural equation modeling. Academic Sight 2011; 27:1-15. (Turkish)

Ciminli A, Kagan M. The examination of relationship between cyber bully, victim at adolescents and their emphaty, personality traits. Online Journal of Technology Addiction and Cyberbullying 2016; 3:14-34. (Turkish)

Say GN, Babadagi Z, Karabekiroglu K, Yuce M, Akbas S. Abuse characteristics and psychiatric consequences associated with online sexual abuse. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw 2015; 18:333-336. [CrossRef]

Wolak J, Finkelhor D, Mitchell KJ, Ybarra ML. Online “predators” and their victims: myths, realities, and implications for prevention and treatment. Am Psychol 2008; 63:111-128. [CrossRef]

de Santisteban P, Gámez-Guadix M. Prevalence and risk factors among minors for online sexual solicitations and interactions with adults. J Sex Res 2018; 55:939-950. [CrossRef]

Boakye KE. Culture and nondisclosure of child sexual abuse in Ghana: A theoretical and empirical exploration. Law Soc Inq 2009; 34:951-979. [CrossRef]

Kocturk N, Bilge F. The risky behaviours of the adolescents exposed to sexual revictimization and one-time sexual abuse. Education and Science 2018; 43:109-119. [CrossRef]

Aksaray S. Cyberbullying. Journal of Cukurova University Institue of Social Sciences 2011; 20:405-432. (Turkish)