Risky Online Behavior and Unwanted Sexual Exposure on Mental Health Among Adolescents

Background and Purpose. Technological advances have made it easy to access the online world via cellular phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices. Nearly three-quarters of adolescents have access to a smart phone with approximately 94% of adolescents online at least daily or more frequently, and 71% of adolescents have accounts on more than one social network site such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat (Lenhart, 2015). Convenient access to the internet likely increases the susceptibility of adolescents to engage in risky online behavior and become exposed to sexual content. It may also increase the risk of disclosure to pornography, unwanted online relationships, or sexual requests from friends or strangers. Although there is existing research which indicates that a majority of adolescents own a technological device and are exposed to risky online behavior as well as unwanted sexual content, there is insufficient research on the effects of how this may impact the mental health of youth. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between risky online behavior and unwanted sexual exposure on mental health outcomes in adolescents.

Method. The study is a secondary analysis of the data from the Second Youth Internet Safety Study (YISS-2) conducted in 2005. YISS-2 was a cross-sectional study assessing the characteristics of incidence, risk factors, and consequences among youth exposed to unwanted sexual contents. Thirty-minute telephone interviews were conducted with a sample size of 1,500 adolescents who were 10-17 years-old (51% male, mean age=14.24, 73% White, 12% Black, 9% Hispanic) and accessed the internet at least once a month for the past six months from the date of the telephone interview. The participants were selected utilizing a random sampling method through a random dialing system. Risky online behavior was measured by six self-report questions rated by frequency (alpha=.62). Unwanted sexual behavior was also measured by six self-report questions rated by frequency (alpha=.71). A series of multiple linear regression analyses was conducted to predict the effects of risky online behavior and unwanted sexual exposure on mental health outcomes in adolescents. Five sub-scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were utilized to analyze mental health outcomes (i.e., withdrawn depressed symptomology, social problems, attention problems, rule breaking behaviors, and aggressive behaviors).

Results. The results of the multiple regression indicated risky online behavior and unwanted sexual exposure increased likelihood of mental health problems. Both factors had significant impacts on all five mental health outcomes assessed in this study.

Implications. Informed with the findings that risky online behavior and unwanted sexual exposure affect mental health of youth, mental health practitioners need to increase efforts centered in psycho-education and prevention directed toward parents and other individuals who collaborate with youth. The findings imply the importance of implementing prevention and intervention to target children for purposes of instilling children and adolescents with safe and informed internet practices. Finally, emphasis on advocacy for policy to increase internet safety and limit the ease of access to explicit or harmful content online will be effective toward maintaining the well-being of youth.