U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

However, identities are easy to disguise on the Internet, so the

solicitors may not have been the age or gender they claimed to be.

Seventy percent of these unwanted solicitations happened when

the youth was using a computer at home, and most of the remaining 30 percent happened at someone else’s home. Two-thirds of

the solicitations took place in chat rooms, and 24 percent were

received through Instant Messages (e-mail messages sent and

received in real time).

Most of the incidents (75 percent) were described by youth as not

distressing, but 25 percent were described as very or extremely

upsetting or frightening. The respondents did not tell anyone

about 49 percent of the sexual solicitations. Twenty-four percent

were disclosed to parents. More than one-third of aggressive

incidents (i.e., the solicitor tried to make personal contact) were

undisclosed.

Unwanted Exposure to Sexual Material

The survey also found that many youth are exposed to sexually

explicit pictures on the Internet without seeking or expecting

them:

◆ Twenty-five percent of the surveyed youth reported unwanted

exposures to sexual material.

◆ Six percent of the youth had experienced distressing exposures

(i.e., the exposure made them very or extremely upset).

A slightly higher percentage of boys than girls reported exposures (57 percent vs. 42 percent) or distressing exposures (55

percent vs. 45 percent). Almost two-thirds of exposures were to

youth ages 15 to 17. Less than one-tenth were to 11- and 12-yearolds, and none to 10-year-olds.

Seventy-one percent of the exposures occurred while youth were

surfing or searching the Web, with the rest occurring through 

e-mail or Instant Messages. In 67 percent of the incidents, youth

were at home when the unwanted exposure occurred; in 15 percent, they were at school; in 13 percent, they were at someone

else’s home; and in 3 percent, they were at a library.

March 2001 #04

Highlights of the Youth Internet

Safety Survey

The Youth Internet Safety Survey, conducted by the Crimes against

Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire,

collected information about incidents of possible online victimization through telephone interviews with a national sample of 1,501

youth ages 10 through 17 who used the Internet regularly (at least

once a month for the past 6 months). The survey addressed three

main issues: sexual solicitations and approaches, unwanted

exposure to sexual material, and harassment.

Sexual Solicitations and Approaches

The survey revealed that many youth are victims of online sexual

solicitations:

◆ Almost one in five (19 percent) of the young Internet users

surveyed received an unwanted sexual solicitation in the past

year.

◆ Five percent of the surveyed youth received a distressing sexual solicitation (i.e., the solicitation made them feel very or

extremely upset or afraid).

◆ Three percent of the youth received an aggressive solicitation

involving offline contact or attempts or requests for offline

contact.

◆ None of the solicitations led to an actual sexual contact or

assault.

One-third of the surveyed youth who had received a solicitation

were male; two-thirds were female. The great majority (77 percent) of the victims were 14 to 17 years old; however, almost one

quarter were ages 10 to 13. The younger group reported 37

percent of the distressing solicitations.

Ninety-seven percent of the solicitors were strangers. According

to the youth, adults (age 18 and older) made 24 percent of all

solicitations and 34 percent of aggressive solicitations. Juveniles

made 48 percent of all solicitations and 48 percent of aggressive

solicitations. (The age of the solicitor was unknown in the remaining incidents.) Two-thirds of all solicitations came from

males. One quarter of aggressive solicitations came from females.

by David Finkelhor, Kimberly Mitchell, and Janis Wolak
PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. G–91

FS–200104 Fact Sheet

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

The great majority of exposures involved pictures with nudity; 38

percent showed people having sex. Eight percent included violent

images. Twenty-three percent of the incidents of unwanted exposure were described as very or extremely upsetting; however,

most incidents were not reported to be distressing. Forty-four

percent of incidents were undisclosed.

Harassment

The survey also revealed that some youth are victims of online

harassment:

◆ Six percent of the young people surveyed reported harassment

incidents (threats, rumors, or other offensive behavior) during

the past year.

◆ Two percent of the surveyed youth reported episodes of distressing harassment (i.e., the incident made them feel very or

extremely upset or afraid).

Other Findings

Overall, few of the solicitations, exposures, and harassments were

reported to authorities (police, hotlines, Internet service providers, or teachers). For example, only 18 percent of even the most

serious incidents, aggressive solicitations, were reported. When

reports were made, it was mostly to Internet service providers.

Most of the families with youth who used the Internet regularly

did not use filtering or blocking software. Thirty-eight percent

had used such software at some time in the past year, but 5

percent had discontinued its use.

Conclusion

Many young people are being subjected to dangerous and

inappropriate experiences on the Internet. The offenses and

offenders are diverse, and the primary vulnerable population is

teenagers. The study yielded a number of recommendations,

including the following:

◆ Youth and families should be encouraged to report incidents to

Internet service providers and, when appropriate, to law

enforcement.

◆ Online reporting resources like the National Center for

Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC’s) CyberTipline

(www.cybertipline.com) should be better publicized to reach

a broader audience of youth.

◆ Mental health, school, and family counselors should receive

training about the effects of online hazards on youth.

◆ More understanding is needed about families’ knowledge of,

attitudes about, and experiences with filtering and blocking

software.

◆ Concern about Internet victimization should not eclipse efforts

to combat other forms of youth victimization (e.g., assault,

abuse, and neglect).

The Youth Internet Safety Survey was commissioned by NCMEC

and supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention. Complete results from the survey are available in

Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation’s Youth, which can be

downloaded at www.missingkids.com (select the links “Education

and Resources,” “Library of Resources,” and “Internet”).

For Further Information

For further information, contact the National Center for Missing

and Exploited Children, Charles B. Wang International Children’s

Building, 699 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314–3175, 703–

274–3900 (phone), 703–274–2222 (fax), www.missingkids.com

(Internet) or the Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, 603–862–1888

(phone), 603–862–1122 (fax), www.unh.edu/ccrc/ (Internet).

David Finkelhor, Ph.D., is the Director of the Crimes against Children

Research Center (CCRC) and a Professor of Sociology at the University

of New Hampshire. Kimberly Mitchell, Ph.D., is a Post Doctoral Fellow

at CCRC. Janis Wolak, J.D., is a Research Assistant Professor at CCRC.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau

of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National

Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

FS–200104