The Internet, pornography, and youth

Ybarra, Michele & Mitchell, Kimberly (2005, October).  The Internet, pornography, and youth. Presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Summary:

This presentation analyzes data from the Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS and YISS2) to explore the research question:

1. What are the personal characteristics of youth who seek out pornography?

Findings include:

- The vast majority of minors who use the Internet to look for sexual images are likely 14 years of age and older.

- Some youth who report intentionally seeking pornography may be facing multiple challenges:

      Poor caregiver-child relationships,Delinquent behavior, and Substance use.

- Intentional exposure may be one behavior among many for some young people struggling in their adolescence.

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