Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey (pdf)
"This Bulletin discusses the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence that measured the past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization (including exposure to community violence and family violence), school violence and threats, and Internet victimization."
Electronic Bullying Among Middle School Students (pdf)
"This study examined the prevalence of electronic bullying among middle school students. The most common methods for electronic bullying (as reported by both victims and perpetrators) involved the use of instant messaging, chat rooms, and e-mail. As children’s use of electronic communications technologies is unlikely to wane in coming years, continued attention to electronic bullying is critical. Implications of these findings for youth, parents, and educators are discussed."
Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for Educators and Caregivers (pdf)
"The brief summarizes what is known about young people and electronic aggression, provides strategies for addressing the issue with young people, and discusses the implications for school staff, education policy makers, and parents and caregivers. "
Electronic Media, Violence, and Adolescents: An Emerging Public Health Problem (pdf)
"Attention is growing about the risk of adolescents to become victims of aggression perpetrated by peers with new technology. In September 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a panel of experts in technology and youth aggression to examine this specific risk. This article presents the data and recommendations for future directions discussed at the meeting. The data supports the argument that electronic aggression is an emerging public health problem in need of additional research to support the development and evaluation of effective prevention programs."
Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies
"A Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force to the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking of State Attorneys General of the United States. The scope of the Task Force's inquiry was to consider those technologies that industry and end users - including parents - can use to help keep minors safer on the Internet."
"This report examines how the media influences sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior, both positively and negatively. Topics include: (1) an overview of what is currently known about the effects of sexual content in the entertainment media young people typically use; (2) a review of 25 evaluated, peer-reviewed interventions from 19 countries on how effective media interventions have been in addressing adolescents' reproductive health and recommendations to consider when developing media interventions; and (3) a review of more than 20 media-based-interventions for sexual and reproductive health that have been conducted in the United States."
Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later (pdf)
"This second groundbreaking national survey of 1,500 youth aged 10 to 17 documented their use of the Internet and experiences while online including unwanted exposure to sexual solicitation, sexual material, and harassment. It was produced in cooperation with OJJDP and the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes against Children Research Center and includes recommendations to help make the Internet safer for children."
Prevalence and Predictors of Internet Bullying (pdf)
"The purpose of the present study was to contrast the prevalence of Internet bullying with physical and verbal bullying among elementary, middle, and high school boys and girls, and to examine whether key predictors of physical and verbal bullying also predicted Internet bullying."
Technology and Youth: Protecting your Child from Electronic Aggression Tip Sheet (pdf)
"This tipsheet provides an overview of electronic aggression, any type of harassment or bullying that occurs through e-mail, a chat room, instant messaging, a website (including blogs), or text messaging. It provides parents and caregivers with strategies for protecting children from this type of violence. "
"This national survey of youth, ages 10 to 17, and their caretakers has several implications for the current debate about young people and Internet pornography. Twenty five percent of youth had unwanted exposure to sexual pictures on the Internet in the past year, challenging the prevalent assumption that the problem is primarily about young people motivated to actively seek out pornography. Most youth had no negative reactions to their unwanted exposure, but one quarter said they were very or extremely upset, suggesting a priority need for more research on and interventions directed toward such negative effects. The authors urge that social scientific research be undertaken to inform this highly contentious public policy controversy."
The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research (pdf)
"Research evidence suggests that exposure to violence through various forms of media increases the risk of violent behavior on the viewer’s part, just as growing up in an environment filled with real violence increases the risk of them behaving violently. In this article, this research evidence is critically assessed and the psychological theory that explains why exposure to violence has detrimental effects for both the short and long-term is elaborated. Finally the size of the “media violence effect” is compared with some other well-known threats to society to estimate how important a threat it should be considered."