The Exposure of Youth to Unwanted Sexual Material on the Internet - Article Example

The Exposure of Youth to Unwanted Sexual Material on the Internet Introduction Kimberly J. Mitchell, David Finkelhor andJanis Wolwak (2003), in their article, “The exposure of youth to unwanted sexual material on the internet: A national survey of risk, impact and prevention,” put forth a discussion about the debate on pornography. In the discussion, the authors cover topics like pornographic risks, preventive strategies as well as the impact of the exposure to pornography in children between the ages of 10 to 17. From the realization that quite a number of children are being exposed to pornographic content, especially in the internet, there is a rising debate concerning some of the regulation strategies that are applicable for the prevention or reduction of the exposure. The extent of the prevention strategies necessary have led to a number of federal legislative pieces that aim at reducing this exposure, some of which were struck down by the courts. In the determining the extent of the exposure, the authors were involved in a national survey of minors between the ages of 10-17, as well as their caretakers. The main aim that the authors consider in the development of the prevalence of the exposure is the determination of the need to perform social scientific research that is likely to inform public policy development on the controversial subject. From the survey, it was possible to determine some of the implications for the public policy debate relating to young people and their exposure to pornography. One of the main assumptions of the exposure to pornographic content is that the young people actively participate in searching for the content, an assumption that the survey refutes partially. Revelations from the survey indicate that 25% of the youth experienced unwanted exposure to the sexual pictures available in the internet, which is a revelation that challenges the assumption of active participation. From the findings, it is also possible to determine that most of the youth did not exhibit negative reactions from the exposure, but some of them revealed that they were upset about it. This paper offers a critical review of the interventions, an evaluation of some of the proposed interventions as well as the reasons for developing the need to conduct research on suitable interventions for the prevention or reduction of the exposure. Summary of findings from the survey From the findings emanating from the survey, a critical consideration would be to find some of the most suitable, yet effective ways of curbing the exposure, which is a consideration that prioritizes research on suitable interventions. However, some of the preventive strategies implemented, for instance the use of blocking software, were not effective in ensuring total blockage from the content. On the other hand, the authors indicate that parental supervision might not be associated with the reduction of the extent of exposure, leading to the recommendation that scientific research is required for the provision of information of the controversy that is in the public domain. In order to determine the conditions surrounding the possible exposure of the pornographic content to the children, the authors look into the assumption that the exposure emanates from the problem of conflicts between parents and their children (Mitchell, Finkelhor and Wolak, 2003, 333). This assumption might not be true since the children might be having good relations with their parents, but some other factors, such as peer pressure, might also influence the young people to look into some of the pornographic materials. Consequently, it is possible to determine that the assumption might not be suitable for determining the reasons for the exposure. The authors reveal that the problem comes about from parental attempts to foil the sexual curiosity in their children, which is possibly the main cause of the disagreements. This assumption considers the fact that the manner in which the internet facilities are framed makes it difficult for parents to restrict the interest that their children might be exhibiting to pornographic content. With the consideration of the regulatory policies meant to control this exposure, the authors identify the laxity in creating policies that regulate the availability of the content in the internet, as compared to the level of regulation towards the bookstores. With the consideration that the authors focus on the exposure the children get focuses on the internet, they indicate that social scientific studies are unlikely to resolve the debate on the policy debates on the issue. However, the authors look into the extent solving the issue through social scientific studies, thereby revealing that the studies offer inadequate solutions to the problem. One identifiable barrier to the realization of this provision is concerns ethical problems attending to the studies that emanate from the studies related to children and sex. The other barrier that the authors identify is that anything in the internet arena is exposed to all manners of misuse, which is possibly true due to the lack of legislative pieces that might regulate this exposure. Instead, regulation is subject to caretaker efforts, which does not ensure effectiveness. Methodology used in the research study In obtaining the findings for the study, the authors used quantitative methods, thereby gathering information through telephone interviews. With the consideration that the identification of the target respondents was possible through a much larger household survey, whose aim was the identification of respondents that meet the qualification criteria, it is possible to determine that the sample was representative, and catered for the sample requirements (Gravetter and Forzano, 2012, 614). It is possible to insinuate that the research was objective, taking into consideration the construction of variables that define internet use. The other variable in consideration was the online behavior of the respondents, a factor considered in the previous survey, which was necessary for determining the suitability of including the respondents in the survey. Another factor that the authors were keen on looking at for the determination of the scope of parental control is the relationship between the parents and their children. This variable, among others, was necessary for providing an adequate evaluation influences the children were getting in the determination of the exposure levels, which made it possible for them to cover some of the concerns objectively. By assessing the variables taken into consideration by the authors, there is a possibility of identifying a positive validation of the results. The reliability of a research process correlates to the representativeness of the sample in question (Gravetter and Forzano, 2012, 616). On these grounds, through the determination of the variables likely to have an impact on the research question in consideration, it is possible to indicate that the authors carefully considered every aspect of the qualification of the respondents, which is a representation of the variables necessary for revealing the true picture of the happenings in the population. This enhances the reliability of the findings determined by the authors. Consequently, it is possible to approve of the analytical framework used by the authors, which is a derivative of the variables in question. An assessment of the criteria used The aim of the study was to indicate that there is a need to conduct social scientific research on some of the alternatives necessary for preventing children from easily accessing sexual materials in the internet easily. In their research, the authors were also determined to know the extent to which the exposures were containing child pornography. Through this inquisition, the authors conclude that the young participants were not reliable in providing information revealing the possible ages of the individuals in the pornographic pictures. This realization informs the need to conduct further social scientific studies on the same, which is one factor that gives a description of the authors aim. This is a revelation that creates further problems that might lead to negative societal consequences in future. Conclusion It is possible to determine that the study identifies that there is a need to conduct additional scientific social research urgently, which is likely to inform the policy development on some of the effective policy strategies that are likely to prevent early exposure to pornographic materials in children. With the performance of further research on the topic, there is a possibility of realizing an altercation to the policy debates on the same. There is also a possibility that the debates that concern youth autonomy require social scientific researches, which will likely lead to the provision of the suitable orientations by the parties concerned in preventing societal vices. Bibliography Mitchell, K. J. Finkelhor, D and Wolak, J. (2003). The Exposure of Youth To Unwanted Sexual Material on the Internet a National Survey of Risk, Impact, and Prevention. University of New Hampshire. Youth & Society. Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L.-A. B. (2012). Research methods for the behavioral sciences. Belmont, CA, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Read More