Limited resources leave youth vulnerable to digital abuse

Newswise — ITHACA, N.Y. – Youth in the U.S. are targets of cross-platform digital abuse from peers, strangers, offline acquaintances and even relatives, with threats ranging from harassment and sexual violence to financial fraud, according to a new study from Cornell University and Google researchers.

Aided by firsthand accounts, researchers identified the need for more resources to educate youth and parents on digital abuse. They call for better communication and coordination among adult stakeholders in implementing sound protective practices. 

“We really need to take a closer look at the types of things that young people are experiencing online, because these experiences are not just child problems anymore,” said Diana Freed, a doctoral student in the field of information science at Cornell and lead author of the study. “Young people are experiencing what are typically thought of as adult issues, like financial fraud and sexual violence.”

Just as today’s youth live and seamlessly move between offline and online worlds, threats often follow them from platform to platform, said Natalie Bazarova, professor of communication and director of the Cornell Social Media Lab.

“The porousness of barriers between digital platforms and online and physical worlds underscores how easily threats can escalate by crossing social contexts and amplifying harms,” she said.

While kids navigate complex and sometimes risky digital lives, for parents and educators alike, there are few formal options for support and resources to educate themselves and kids on potential online harms, researchers found.

“Whether it was the teachers or the parents, they didn’t really understand exactly what social media applications young people were using, let alone how to address the problems,” Freed said.

In many instances, parents’ knowledge about the platforms their kids frequent was limited to information pulled from quick web searches or conversations with friends. 

“Some parents would tell us, ‘Online gaming is very safe, but a particular social media app is not safe.’ But is there an open chat on the gaming platform? Can anyone join it? Do you know who your kids are communicating with?” Freed said. “Well-meaning parents can have a very difficult time understanding what questions to ask their kids to improve safety.” 

Among their recommendations, researchers call for better educational resources, such as more robust digital safety educational programs in schools and more accessible, actionable resources for educators like Social Media Test Drive, a Cornell-led project that Bazarova co-founded and directs. Other recommendations include improving digital-abuse reporting processes on online apps and platforms.

“We may assume, because they’re digital natives, that kids will just know how to protect themselves online,” Freed said. “That’s leaving a lot on young people, families and schools.”

The study will be presented at the Association for Computing Machinery CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems this month. 

For additional information, see this Cornell Chronicle story. 

Cornell University has dedicated television and audio studios available for media interviews.

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