Debate Guide: Online dangers: Difference between revisions

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:''"The web is a dangerous place for children, and they should be protected by constant observation when online. Each year 1 in 5 children is sexually solicited online"''
__NOTOC__<blockquote><font color="green">'''''The web is a dangerous place for children, and they should be protected by constant observation when online. Each year 1 in 5 children is sexually solicited online!'''''</font></blockquote>


[[File:Online.png|thumb|Perhaps the simplest way to show reasonable disbelief is to highlight the struggles faced by Hansen/Eichenwald type journalists in finding even one genuinely exploited child]]
The 1 in 5 figure is an example of the all too common deception used to scare people and deny young people intellectual freedom (supposedly granted by the [[UNCRC]]).
The 1 in 5 figure is an example of the all too common deception used to scare people and deny young people intellectual freedom (supposedly granted by the [[UNCRC]]).


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:*The 1 in 5 figure was the number that had received at least one instance of unwanted sex talk (including from other teenagers), or sex talk from an adult (whether wanted or not), in the past year.
:*The 1 in 5 figure was the number that had received at least one instance of unwanted sex talk (including from other teenagers), or sex talk from an adult (whether wanted or not), in the past year.
:*The proportion of respondents who received a sexual flirtation from an adult, followed by a request to talk on the phone or meet in person, was about 1%.
:*The proportion of respondents who received a sexual flirtation from an adult, followed by a request to talk on the phone or meet in person, was about 1%.
:*The number of survey respondents who actually befriended an adult online and then met the adult in person for sexual purposes, was zero.
:*The number of survey respondents who actually befriended an adult online and then met the adult in person for sexual purposes, was zero.<ref>[http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/02/26/1322248 Spreading the 1 in 5 number....]</ref>
:''Source [http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/02/26/1322248]''.


Elsewhere, even establishment authorities such as [[David Finkelhor]] and associates point out that the common fears regarding the violent, involuntary nature of online solicitation as well as the myth that withholding personal information is an effective solution are all unfounded. Professional consensus is moving towards "self-victimisation" - which to any sound critical analyst, equates to the sexual agency of young people.
Elsewhere, even establishment authorities such as [[David Finkelhor]] and associates point out that the common fears regarding the violent, involuntary nature of online solicitation as well as the myth that withholding personal information is an effective solution are all unfounded. Professional consensus is moving towards "self-victimisation" - which to any sound critical analyst, equates to the sexual agency of young people.<ref>[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok05pxbYLJI "Just the facts about online youth victimisation" - Finkelhor and others]</ref>
:''Source, [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok05pxbYLJI "Just the facts about online youth victimisation"] - Finkelhor and others''.


Some, including [[Perverted Justice]] engage in scaremongering over the networking site, Myspace.
Some, including [[Perverted Justice]] attempted to scaremonger over the now largely irrelevant networking site, Myspace:


:''"There are nearly 100,000 Registered [[US]] sex offenders on Myspace!"''
<blockquote><font color="green">'''''There are nearly 100,000 Registered (US) sex offenders on Myspace!'''''</font></blockquote>


The source for the 90,000 claim is highly contentious, and if correct, would actually demonstrate that Sex Offenders are particularly careful not to partake in social networking. [http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/etan_on_tech/social_networking/ Pew] informs us that at least 50% online US adults with a social networking profile have a myspace. Since this refers only to adults who have and prefer to use a Myspace profile, the figure is probably closer to 65%. Multiplying the 65% by .35 (the fraction of online US adults who have a profile at all) and then by .80 (the [http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0559828420071106 internet access level] in the US) gives us 18.2% of US adults who have a Myspace profile. A percentage calculation on the US Registered Sex Offender population of ~750,000 yields 12%, using the 90,000 estimate.
The source for the 90,000 claim is highly contentious, and if correct, would actually have demonstrated that Sex Offenders were particularly careful not to partake in social networking. This is because in the US, Myspace ''was'' far more popular among adults than the diminutive ''12%'' represented by "90,000" of a total "750,000" registered sex offenders at the time.


As it happens, Myspace only have a public registry to go by, and the Myspace registrant's purported details. As a result of this, the number of false positives and indeed false negatives is likely to be huge. The term "cutting edge technology" (and the like) is probably used by MySpace to appease US Attorneys General and Government, both of whom want this data to be made public. In reality, Myspace has no way of knowing the IP addresses and other electronical data of registered SO's. Perhaps, in light of this uncertainty, it would be better to point out that only a very small fraction of sex offenders are inclined towards violent attacks on youngsters, and a negligible proportion of this number used the internet to achieve this. Only a fraction of Myspace profiles are ever activated, let alone actively used in the long run.  
If they were to be effective in any forthcoming crusade against "predators" (as encouraged by US Attorneys General such as [[Wikipedia:Richard Blumenthal|Richard Blumenthal]] and Government agencies), Myspace only had a public registry to go by, along with the Myspace registrant's purported details. The number of false positives and indeed false negatives they would have encountered would have been huge. In reality, Myspace had no way of knowing the IP addresses and other data of registered SO's. Only a very small fraction of sex offenders are inclined towards ''violent'' attacks on youngsters, and a negligible proportion of this number use the internet to facilitate this.


==See also==
==See also==


*[[Research: The internet, minors and "online victimisation"]]
*[[Research: Commercial and online sexual exploitation]]
 
==References==


[[Category:Debate]][[Category:Debating Points: Child/Minor]][[Category:Debating Points: Adults]]
[[Category:Debate]][[Category:Debating Points: Child/Minor]][[Category:Debating Points: Adults]]


[[fr:Guide de débat: Dangers en ligne]]
[[fr:Guide de débat: Dangers en ligne]]

Latest revision as of 15:53, 1 August 2022

The web is a dangerous place for children, and they should be protected by constant observation when online. Each year 1 in 5 children is sexually solicited online!

Perhaps the simplest way to show reasonable disbelief is to highlight the struggles faced by Hansen/Eichenwald type journalists in finding even one genuinely exploited child

The 1 in 5 figure is an example of the all too common deception used to scare people and deny young people intellectual freedom (supposedly granted by the UNCRC).

It originated with a study done in 2000 by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, which surveyed 1,501 Internet-using youth age 10 through 17. The actual relevant findings of the study were as follows:
  • The 1 in 5 figure was the number that had received at least one instance of unwanted sex talk (including from other teenagers), or sex talk from an adult (whether wanted or not), in the past year.
  • The proportion of respondents who received a sexual flirtation from an adult, followed by a request to talk on the phone or meet in person, was about 1%.
  • The number of survey respondents who actually befriended an adult online and then met the adult in person for sexual purposes, was zero.[1]

Elsewhere, even establishment authorities such as David Finkelhor and associates point out that the common fears regarding the violent, involuntary nature of online solicitation as well as the myth that withholding personal information is an effective solution are all unfounded. Professional consensus is moving towards "self-victimisation" - which to any sound critical analyst, equates to the sexual agency of young people.[2]

Some, including Perverted Justice attempted to scaremonger over the now largely irrelevant networking site, Myspace:

There are nearly 100,000 Registered (US) sex offenders on Myspace!

The source for the 90,000 claim is highly contentious, and if correct, would actually have demonstrated that Sex Offenders were particularly careful not to partake in social networking. This is because in the US, Myspace was far more popular among adults than the diminutive 12% represented by "90,000" of a total "750,000" registered sex offenders at the time.

If they were to be effective in any forthcoming crusade against "predators" (as encouraged by US Attorneys General such as Richard Blumenthal and Government agencies), Myspace only had a public registry to go by, along with the Myspace registrant's purported details. The number of false positives and indeed false negatives they would have encountered would have been huge. In reality, Myspace had no way of knowing the IP addresses and other data of registered SO's. Only a very small fraction of sex offenders are inclined towards violent attacks on youngsters, and a negligible proportion of this number use the internet to facilitate this.

See also

References