Research: Commercial and online sexual exploitation - Revision history

Jim Burton: /* Modern online fears */

2026-06-10T10:09:16Z

Modern online fears

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	[[File:FinkelhorYSE.png\|thumb\|[[David Finkelhor\|Finkelhor]] Investigation]]		[[File:FinkelhorYSE.png\|thumb\|[[David Finkelhor\|Finkelhor]] Investigation]]

	:''See [[Research: Child_Pornography\|our article on Child Pornography]] for details about the nature of pornography and the phenomenon of "child" producers.''		:''See [[Research: Child_Pornography\|our article on Child Pornography]] for details about the nature of pornography and the phenomenon of "child" producers. Of relevance to the present-day regulatory/age-gating debate, see our piece on [[Research: The effects of pornography\|the effects of pornography]]''

	As mentioned earlier, modern claims about the scale of "child sex trafficking" are likely connected to popular fears surrounding young people online, and their relation to reporting numbers. These are rarely ever related to the case of a young person "under the control" of an offender.		As mentioned earlier, modern claims about the scale of "child sex trafficking" are likely connected to popular fears surrounding young people online, and their relation to reporting numbers. These are rarely ever related to the case of a young person "under the control" of an offender.

Jim Burton at 10:06, 10 June 2026

2026-06-10T10:06:28Z

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	__NOTOC__{{research}}		__NOTOC__{{research}}
	~~Commercial~~ sexual exploitation, enslavement, "sex trafficking," and juvenile/child prostitution have long been used by governments to instigate moral ~~panic~~ and ultimately maintain control over young people. Prostitution of ~~youths~~ for love and/or money - mutually willing, consensual and (unfortunately) non-consensual - has a long history.<ref>For boy / young male prostitution, this practice relates to the history of pederasty and dates back to at least Roman times. See, for example: Robyn Lloyd, [https://library.lol/main/CA0E4836297D15B20479B0CAE39BDDEB ''For Money or Love: Boy Prostitution in America''] (New York: Vanguard Press, Inc, 1976), p. 65. The Victorian era British sex trade is well-known for its sex trade involving very young females. See, for example: Alyson Brown, [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/chi.808 Mythologies and Panics: Twentieth Century Constructions of Child Prostitution], ''CHILDREN & SOCIETY'', VOLUME 18 (2004), pp. 344–354.</ref> Modern panics ~~and their sometimes~~ sensationalist claims, are forgotten quickly or (belatedly) discredited in light of new evidence. As the ex-husband of one disgraced campaigner attests - "when you work in this world, you know fabricated stories are used by everyone to get funding."<ref>[https://theworld.org/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/cambodia/140926/cambodia-somaly-mam-Pierre-legros Cambodia: Somaly Mam’s ex-husband speaks out]. For an example of how Wikipedia uncritically amplifies the outlandish lies of trafficking campaigners, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20121117074050/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaly_Mam_Foundation this 2012 version] of Mam's article.</ref>		Against a constant, but fluctuating and poorly understood background of youth sex work, the fear of commercial sexual exploitation, enslavement, "sex trafficking," and juvenile/child prostitution have long been used by governments to instigate moral panics and ultimately maintain control over young people.

			"Prostitution" of youth for love and/or money (mutually willing, consensual and unfortunately sometimes non-consensual) has a long history.<ref>For boy / young male prostitution, this practice relates to the history of pederasty and dates back to at least Roman times. See, for example: Robyn Lloyd, [https://library.lol/main/CA0E4836297D15B20479B0CAE39BDDEB ''For Money or Love: Boy Prostitution in America''] (New York: Vanguard Press, Inc, 1976), p. 65. The Victorian era British sex trade is well-known for its sex trade involving very young females. See, for example: Alyson Brown, [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/chi.808 Mythologies and Panics: Twentieth Century Constructions of Child Prostitution], ''CHILDREN & SOCIETY'', VOLUME 18 (2004), pp. 344–354.</ref> Modern panics have been fuelled by sensationalist claims, yet are often forgotten quickly or (belatedly) discredited in light of new evidence. As the ex-husband of one disgraced campaigner attests - "when you work in this world, you know fabricated stories are used by everyone to get funding."<ref>[https://theworld.org/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/cambodia/140926/cambodia-somaly-mam-Pierre-legros Cambodia: Somaly Mam’s ex-husband speaks out]. For an example of how Wikipedia uncritically amplifies the outlandish lies of trafficking campaigners, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20121117074050/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaly_Mam_Foundation this 2012 version] of Mam's article.</ref>

	The key points are:		The key points are:

	*Modern day claims about sex trafficking of youth are invariably based upon suspicion (reports) of exploitation, most probably arising from the mere presence of minors or suspected minors online.		*Modern day claims about sex trafficking of youth are invariably based upon suspicion (reports) of exploitation, most probably arising from the mere presence of minors or suspected minors online.
	*When we just look at "trafficking" through the "rescue" lens of agencies and prosecutors, we then only focus on victims and complainants, and risk obscuring the voices and stories of minors who willingly engage in and enjoy sex work.<ref>Most research focuses on teenage prostitution, since most sex work involving underage youths does not involve pre-pubescent children. For a rare study of pre-pubertal female sex workers which includes their positive and nonchalant perspectives, see: Inciardi, J. (1984). "[https://www.newgon.net/prd/lib/Inciardi1984.html Little girls and sex: A glimpse at the world of the “baby pro”]" ''Deviant Behaviour'', Volume 5, 1984 - Issue 1-4.</ref> Examples of "trafficked" children, or modern sexual slavery, are not broadly representative of youth sex work immigrants, let alone the youth sex industry as a whole - which itself suffers from the poisoning effects of prohibition. In reality, young people engage in sex work for a huge variety of underlying reasons.<ref>See, for example: Fredlund C, et al. (2018). [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29775872/ Adolescents' motives for selling sex in a welfare state - A Swedish national study]. ''Child Abuse and Neglect'', 81, pp. 286-295. See also Robert van de Walle et al. (2012), and Inciardi (1984) in footnotes.</ref>		*When we just look at "trafficking" through the "rescue" lens of agencies and prosecutors, we then only focus on victims and complainants, and risk obscuring the voices and stories of minors who willingly engage in, profit from and even sometimes enjoy sex work.<ref>Most research focuses on teenage prostitution, since most sex work involving underage youths does not involve pre-pubescent children. For a rare study of pre-pubertal female sex workers which includes their positive and nonchalant perspectives, see: Inciardi, J. (1984). "[https://www.newgon.net/prd/lib/Inciardi1984.html Little girls and sex: A glimpse at the world of the “baby pro”]" ''Deviant Behaviour'', Volume 5, 1984 - Issue 1-4.</ref> Examples of "trafficked" children, or modern sexual slavery, are not broadly representative of youth sex work immigrants, let alone the youth sex industry as a whole - which itself suffers from the poisoning effects of prohibition. In reality, young people engage in sex work for a huge variety of underlying reasons.<ref>See, for example: Fredlund C, et al. (2018). [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29775872/ Adolescents' motives for selling sex in a welfare state - A Swedish national study]. ''Child Abuse and Neglect'', 81, pp. 286-295. See also Robert van de Walle et al. (2012), and Inciardi (1984) in footnotes.</ref>
	*The trafficking/prostitution panics of the 1970s have been largely discredited or forgotten, but could be used to urge moderation of present day concerns.		*The trafficking/prostitution panics of the 1970s have been largely discredited or forgotten, but could be used to urge moderation of present day concerns.

GeoTerra: /* "Grooming Gang" Scandals */

2026-03-20T02:33:00Z

"Grooming Gang" Scandals

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	:"Kelly, not her real name, said she had been groomed by three white men in the capital. She was initially forced to deal drugs but said the exploitation then got worse. "I had no money, felt neglected and saw an opportunity to feel part of something so I made some bad connections and before long I was selling drugs on the streets. But that turned into having sex to keep people on side if we owed them, or [as an enticement for them to] buy drugs off me and the gang," she said.		:"Kelly, not her real name, said she had been groomed by three white men in the capital. She was initially forced to deal drugs but said the exploitation then got worse. "I had no money, felt neglected and saw an opportunity to feel part of something so I made some bad connections and before long I was selling drugs on the streets. But that turned into having sex to keep people on side if we owed them, or [as an enticement for them to] buy drugs off me and the gang," she said.
	"I didn't feel like I was groomed or exploited. I didn't think I was a victim. It's taken me a while to realise I was used and manipulated.		"I didn't feel like I was groomed or exploited. I didn't think I was a victim. It's taken me a while to realise I was used and manipulated.
	"It gave my life purpose for a bit and I felt needed," she added. "I didn't feel that at home. I was looking for something because I [was] lonely and bored.""[...]"'They didn't want anything but sex'		"It gave my life purpose for a bit and I felt needed," she added. "I didn't feel that at home. I was looking for something because I [was] lonely and bored.""[...]"'They didn't want anything but sex' Another London survivor, whom we are calling Ruth, said she was also exploited for sex. "They didn't want anything but sex. I was low and they gave me expensive things so I felt wanted and then slept with them. It felt like I had multiple boyfriends giving me attention. They were South Asian men - they took advantage of my situation." It's happening in London," she added. "And those who don't believe it need to look again." The women we spoke to say their stories prove that not all grooming-gang cases in the city involve drug dealing and other criminality."<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd9xnjyy8po]</ref>
	Another London survivor, whom we are calling Ruth, said she was also exploited for sex.
	"They didn't want anything but sex. I was low and they gave me expensive things so I felt wanted and then slept with them. It felt like I had multiple boyfriends giving me attention. They were South Asian men - they took advantage of my situation.
	"It's happening in London," she added. "And those who don't believe it need to look again."
	The women we spoke to say their stories prove that not all grooming-gang cases in the city involve drug dealing and other criminality."<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd9xnjyy8po]</ref>
	<hr>		<hr>
	In 2023, British woman [[Eleanor Williams]] was convicted at the age of 22 for perverting the course of justice, after she created an elaborate web of lies that she had been "trafficked", raped and beaten over many years by a non-existent "Asian grooming gang". Williams hit herself in the face with a hammer, gave herself black eyes and bruises across her body, and severed her finger before posting graphic photos of her injuries online. She then became an icon for a popular right-wing "anti-groomer" campaign known as "Justice for Ellie", supported by [[Wikipedia:Tommy Robinson\|Tommy Robinson]] and leading to multiple men who were falsely accused being stigmatized in their communities and attempting to commit suicide. Williams was imprisoned for 8.5 years, and her case made national news.		In 2023, British woman [[Eleanor Williams]] was convicted at the age of 22 for perverting the course of justice, after she created an elaborate web of lies that she had been "trafficked", raped and beaten over many years by a non-existent "Asian grooming gang". Williams hit herself in the face with a hammer, gave herself black eyes and bruises across her body, and severed her finger before posting graphic photos of her injuries online. She then became an icon for a popular right-wing "anti-groomer" campaign known as "Justice for Ellie", supported by [[Wikipedia:Tommy Robinson\|Tommy Robinson]] and leading to multiple men who were falsely accused being stigmatized in their communities and attempting to commit suicide. Williams was imprisoned for 8.5 years, and her case made national news.

GeoTerra: /* "Grooming Gang" Scandals */

2026-03-20T02:32:14Z

"Grooming Gang" Scandals

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	:"Janet Foulds, former chair of the British Association of Social Workers, was responding to a report on the Rochdale grooming case which found that some social workers thought the victims were mature enough to make their own decisions about sex. [...] "But the way that the children and young people are groomed may give people the impression that it is consensual, but it absolutely isn't.""<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-19741304 BBC: Rochdale]</ref>		:"Janet Foulds, former chair of the British Association of Social Workers, was responding to a report on the Rochdale grooming case which found that some social workers thought the victims were mature enough to make their own decisions about sex. [...] "But the way that the children and young people are groomed may give people the impression that it is consensual, but it absolutely isn't.""<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-19741304 BBC: Rochdale]</ref>
	<hr>		<hr>
	:"Kelly, not her real name, said she had been groomed by three white men in the capital. She was initially forced to deal drugs but said the exploitation then got worse.		:"Kelly, not her real name, said she had been groomed by three white men in the capital. She was initially forced to deal drugs but said the exploitation then got worse. "I had no money, felt neglected and saw an opportunity to feel part of something so I made some bad connections and before long I was selling drugs on the streets. But that turned into having sex to keep people on side if we owed them, or [as an enticement for them to] buy drugs off me and the gang," she said.
	"I had no money, felt neglected and saw an opportunity to feel part of something so I made some bad connections and before long I was selling drugs on the streets. But that turned into having sex to keep people on side if we owed them, or [as an enticement for them to] buy drugs off me and the gang," she said.
	"I didn't feel like I was groomed or exploited. I didn't think I was a victim. It's taken me a while to realise I was used and manipulated.		"I didn't feel like I was groomed or exploited. I didn't think I was a victim. It's taken me a while to realise I was used and manipulated.
	"It gave my life purpose for a bit and I felt needed," she added. "I didn't feel that at home. I was looking for something because I [was] lonely and bored.""[...]"'They didn't want anything but sex'		"It gave my life purpose for a bit and I felt needed," she added. "I didn't feel that at home. I was looking for something because I [was] lonely and bored.""[...]"'They didn't want anything but sex'

GeoTerra: /* "Grooming Gang" Scandals */

2026-03-20T02:31:54Z

"Grooming Gang" Scandals

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:31, 20 March 2026
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	<hr>		<hr>
	:"Janet Foulds, former chair of the British Association of Social Workers, was responding to a report on the Rochdale grooming case which found that some social workers thought the victims were mature enough to make their own decisions about sex. [...] "But the way that the children and young people are groomed may give people the impression that it is consensual, but it absolutely isn't.""<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-19741304 BBC: Rochdale]</ref>		:"Janet Foulds, former chair of the British Association of Social Workers, was responding to a report on the Rochdale grooming case which found that some social workers thought the victims were mature enough to make their own decisions about sex. [...] "But the way that the children and young people are groomed may give people the impression that it is consensual, but it absolutely isn't.""<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-19741304 BBC: Rochdale]</ref>
			<hr>
			:"Kelly, not her real name, said she had been groomed by three white men in the capital. She was initially forced to deal drugs but said the exploitation then got worse.
			"I had no money, felt neglected and saw an opportunity to feel part of something so I made some bad connections and before long I was selling drugs on the streets. But that turned into having sex to keep people on side if we owed them, or [as an enticement for them to] buy drugs off me and the gang," she said.
			"I didn't feel like I was groomed or exploited. I didn't think I was a victim. It's taken me a while to realise I was used and manipulated.
			"It gave my life purpose for a bit and I felt needed," she added. "I didn't feel that at home. I was looking for something because I [was] lonely and bored.""[...]"'They didn't want anything but sex'
			Another London survivor, whom we are calling Ruth, said she was also exploited for sex.
			"They didn't want anything but sex. I was low and they gave me expensive things so I felt wanted and then slept with them. It felt like I had multiple boyfriends giving me attention. They were South Asian men - they took advantage of my situation.
			"It's happening in London," she added. "And those who don't believe it need to look again."
			The women we spoke to say their stories prove that not all grooming-gang cases in the city involve drug dealing and other criminality."<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd9xnjyy8po]</ref>
	<hr>		<hr>
	In 2023, British woman [[Eleanor Williams]] was convicted at the age of 22 for perverting the course of justice, after she created an elaborate web of lies that she had been "trafficked", raped and beaten over many years by a non-existent "Asian grooming gang". Williams hit herself in the face with a hammer, gave herself black eyes and bruises across her body, and severed her finger before posting graphic photos of her injuries online. She then became an icon for a popular right-wing "anti-groomer" campaign known as "Justice for Ellie", supported by [[Wikipedia:Tommy Robinson\|Tommy Robinson]] and leading to multiple men who were falsely accused being stigmatized in their communities and attempting to commit suicide. Williams was imprisoned for 8.5 years, and her case made national news.		In 2023, British woman [[Eleanor Williams]] was convicted at the age of 22 for perverting the course of justice, after she created an elaborate web of lies that she had been "trafficked", raped and beaten over many years by a non-existent "Asian grooming gang". Williams hit herself in the face with a hammer, gave herself black eyes and bruises across her body, and severed her finger before posting graphic photos of her injuries online. She then became an icon for a popular right-wing "anti-groomer" campaign known as "Justice for Ellie", supported by [[Wikipedia:Tommy Robinson\|Tommy Robinson]] and leading to multiple men who were falsely accused being stigmatized in their communities and attempting to commit suicide. Williams was imprisoned for 8.5 years, and her case made national news.

Jim Burton: /* "Grooming Gang" Scandals */

2025-11-14T20:17:20Z

"Grooming Gang" Scandals

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:17, 14 November 2025
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	=="Grooming Gang" Scandals==		=="Grooming Gang" Scandals==

			:''[[Special_Article:_Adverse_effects_of_hysteria#Racist_and_homophobic_scratching-post\|See also: Adverse Effects of Hysteria]]

	[[File:Iicsarotherham.png\|thumb\|Taken from the IICSA Report (Rotherham) itself]]		[[File:Iicsarotherham.png\|thumb\|Taken from the IICSA Report (Rotherham) itself]]
	The UK has been rocked by "grooming gang" scandals, a ''racialized'' term coined in the right-wing media, much like more recent American use of the term "grooming" was adopted by ''homophobes''. Domestic investigations into these events are often dominated by the need to tread carefully around cultural sensitivities, and predictably US figures such as Elon Musk have belatedly sought to capitalize on these controversies.		The UK has been rocked by "[[grooming]] gang" scandals, a ''racialized'' term coined in the right-wing media, much like more recent American use of the term "grooming" was adopted by ''homophobes''. Domestic investigations into these events are often dominated by the need to tread carefully around cultural sensitivities, and predictably US figures such as Elon Musk have belatedly sought to capitalize on these controversies.

	What appears to have been whitewashed by both sides of the debate, is the awkward subject of how to preface the voluntary nature of girls' sexual relations with men - often within the context of juvenile prostitution. News stories appear to reveal a vast chasm between the political/theoretical side of the child protection bureaucracy and the law enforcers on the ground. From the Rotherham Report itself, it becomes obvious that the relations of the teen and tween girls' involved were far more complex than the "child rape" often alleged by right-wing commentators such as [[Wikipedia:James Delingpole\|James Delingpole]] and [[Wikipedia:Tommy Robinson\|Tommy Robinson]] who seek to take advantage of their experiences. From various sources:		What appears to have been whitewashed by both sides of the debate, is the awkward subject of how to preface the voluntary nature of girls' sexual relations with men - often within the context of juvenile prostitution. News stories appear to reveal a vast chasm between the political/theoretical side of the child protection bureaucracy and the law enforcers on the ground. From the Rotherham Report itself, it becomes obvious that the relations of the teen and tween girls' involved were far more complex than the "child rape" often alleged by right-wing commentators such as [[Wikipedia:James Delingpole\|James Delingpole]] and [[Wikipedia:Tommy Robinson\|Tommy Robinson]] who seek to take advantage of their experiences. From various sources:

Jim Burton: /* "Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people */

2025-10-21T02:38:11Z

"Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:38, 21 October 2025
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	*:"Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps — and it may not be hurting their mental health, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study. The findings challenge the popular belief that dating apps are harmful for teenagers. Instead, the study — which monitored adolescents over six months — suggests these apps may provide teens with valuable social connections, particularly for those who identify as sexual and gender minorities populations. “Perhaps parents don’t need to immediately panic when they see their teens using dating apps,” said study author Lilian Li, a postdoctoral research fellow of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “What’s more important is for parents to have a conversation with their kids about why they are using these apps in the first place.”"		*:"Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps — and it may not be hurting their mental health, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study. The findings challenge the popular belief that dating apps are harmful for teenagers. Instead, the study — which monitored adolescents over six months — suggests these apps may provide teens with valuable social connections, particularly for those who identify as sexual and gender minorities populations. “Perhaps parents don’t need to immediately panic when they see their teens using dating apps,” said study author Lilian Li, a postdoctoral research fellow of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “What’s more important is for parents to have a conversation with their kids about why they are using these apps in the first place.”"

	*'''Roth, Yoel, [https://~~core~~.ac.~~uk/download~~/~~pdf~~/~~76394172~~.pdf "Gay Data"] (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. Paper 1985.'''		*'''Roth, Yoel, [https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/60981d118b006454de9222b2/61d364a68536fc3f5cf77933_Roth-Dissertation.pdf "Gay Data"] (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. Paper 1985.'''
	*:"These [news media] accounts echo many of the classic tropes of online child safety narratives: the essentially dangerous nature of new media; the need to impose strict, top-down controls on how minors use the internet; a digital reincarnation of “[[stranger danger]]” in the figure of the older male sexual predator; and the importance of raising children to be safety-savvy and highly private. Yet, absent from these discussions is even a cursory recognition that the new medium of gay-targeted social networking may be a crucial social outlet for gay, bisexual, and questioning youth. While gay youth-oriented chat rooms and social networking services were available in the early 2000s, these services have largely fallen by the wayside, in favor of general-purpose platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. Perhaps this is truly representative of an increasingly absent demand among young adults for networked spaces to engage with peers about their sexuality; but it’s worth considering how, if at all, the current generation of popular sites of gay networked sociability might fit into an overall queer social landscape that increasingly includes individuals under the age of 18. Even with the service’s extensive content management, Grindr may well be too lewd or too hook-up-oriented to be a safe and age-appropriate resource for teenagers; but the fact that people under 18 are on these services already indicates that we can’t readily dismiss these platforms out of hand as loci for queer youth culture."		*:"These [news media] accounts echo many of the classic tropes of online child safety narratives: the essentially dangerous nature of new media; the need to impose strict, top-down controls on how minors use the internet; a digital reincarnation of “[[stranger danger]]” in the figure of the older male sexual predator; and the importance of raising children to be safety-savvy and highly private. Yet, absent from these discussions is even a cursory recognition that the new medium of gay-targeted social networking may be a crucial social outlet for gay, bisexual, and questioning youth. While gay youth-oriented chat rooms and social networking services were available in the early 2000s, these services have largely fallen by the wayside, in favor of general-purpose platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. Perhaps this is truly representative of an increasingly absent demand among young adults for networked spaces to engage with peers about their sexuality; but it’s worth considering how, if at all, the current generation of popular sites of gay networked sociability might fit into an overall queer social landscape that increasingly includes individuals under the age of 18. Even with the service’s extensive content management, Grindr may well be too lewd or too hook-up-oriented to be a safe and age-appropriate resource for teenagers; but the fact that people under 18 are on these services already indicates that we can’t readily dismiss these platforms out of hand as loci for queer youth culture."

Jim Burton: /* "Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people */

2025-10-21T02:31:53Z

"Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:31, 21 October 2025
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	*'''[https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/07/teens-are-using-dating-apps-more-than-youd-think-it-may-not-be-a-bad-thing Schamisso, B (2025). Teens are using dating apps more than you’d think. It may not be a bad thing.]'''		*'''[https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/07/teens-are-using-dating-apps-more-than-youd-think-it-may-not-be-a-bad-thing Schamisso, B (2025). Teens are using dating apps more than you’d think. It may not be a bad thing.]'''
	*:''"Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps — and it may not be hurting their mental health, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study. The findings challenge the popular belief that dating apps are harmful for teenagers. Instead, the study — which monitored adolescents over six months — suggests these apps may provide teens with valuable social connections, particularly for those who identify as sexual and gender minorities populations. “Perhaps parents don’t need to immediately panic when they see their teens using dating apps,” said study author Lilian Li, a postdoctoral research fellow of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “What’s more important is for parents to have a conversation with their kids about why they are using these apps in the first place.”"''		*:"Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps — and it may not be hurting their mental health, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study. The findings challenge the popular belief that dating apps are harmful for teenagers. Instead, the study — which monitored adolescents over six months — suggests these apps may provide teens with valuable social connections, particularly for those who identify as sexual and gender minorities populations. “Perhaps parents don’t need to immediately panic when they see their teens using dating apps,” said study author Lilian Li, a postdoctoral research fellow of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “What’s more important is for parents to have a conversation with their kids about why they are using these apps in the first place.”"

	*'''Roth, Yoel, [https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/76394172.pdf "Gay Data"] (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. Paper 1985.'''		*'''Roth, Yoel, [https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/76394172.pdf "Gay Data"] (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. Paper 1985.'''

Jim Burton: /* "Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people */

2025-10-21T02:31:02Z

"Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:31, 21 October 2025
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	==="Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people===		==="Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people===

	Gender and Sexual Minority youth in particular,<ref>[https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001 Macapagal K, Moskowitz DA, Li DH, Carrión A, Bettin E, Fisher CB, Mustanski B. (2018) Hookup App Use, Sexual Behavior, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States. J Adolesc Health. 2018 Jun;62(6):708-715. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001. PMID: 29784114; PMCID: PMC5967650.]</ref><ref>[https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-42824-001 McGregor, M. M., Li, L. Y., Trivedi, E., Sarkas, S. E., Sritharan, A., Massac, L., Durham, K., Allen, N. B., Auerbach, R. P., & Shankman, S. A. (2025). A longitudinal study of objective dating app usage and its relation to mental health in adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Advance online publication.]</ref> feel the need to avail themselves of hookup and dating apps, with a considerable minority now using them to facilitate early sexual experiences. This presents an unique public health challenge, although use of these apps is not deemed to be harmful per se.		Gender and Sexual Minority youth in particular,<ref>[https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001 Macapagal K, Moskowitz DA, Li DH, Carrión A, Bettin E, Fisher CB, Mustanski B. (2018) Hookup App Use, Sexual Behavior, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States. J Adolesc Health. 2018 Jun;62(6):708-715. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001. PMID: 29784114; PMCID: PMC5967650.]</ref><ref>[https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-42824-001 McGregor, M. M., Li, L. Y., Trivedi, E., Sarkas, S. E., Sritharan, A., Massac, L., Durham, K., Allen, N. B., Auerbach, R. P., & Shankman, S. A. (2025). A longitudinal study of objective dating app usage and its relation to mental health in adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Advance online publication.]</ref> feel the need to avail themselves of hookup and dating apps, with a considerable minority now using them to facilitate early sexual experiences. This presents a unique public health challenge, although use of these apps is not deemed to be harmful per se.

	*'''[https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/07/teens-are-using-dating-apps-more-than-youd-think-it-may-not-be-a-bad-thing Schamisso, B (2025). Teens are using dating apps more than you’d think. It may not be a bad thing.]'''		*'''[https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/07/teens-are-using-dating-apps-more-than-youd-think-it-may-not-be-a-bad-thing Schamisso, B (2025). Teens are using dating apps more than you’d think. It may not be a bad thing.]'''

Jim Burton: /* "Hook up apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people */

2025-10-21T02:30:36Z

"Hook up apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:30, 21 October 2025
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	*::FINKELHOR: "In that survey we did find that 1 out of 7 young people who use the Internet [received] an unwanted sexual solicitation or inquiry from someone online. But those aren't all predators by any stretch of the imagination. I like to say it's more like 1 in 25 kids who encounter what we call an aggressive solicitation, somebody who sent them a kind of sexual message and is trying to follow that up in some way by actually trying to meet them or arranging to contact them offline as well."		*::FINKELHOR: "In that survey we did find that 1 out of 7 young people who use the Internet [received] an unwanted sexual solicitation or inquiry from someone online. But those aren't all predators by any stretch of the imagination. I like to say it's more like 1 in 25 kids who encounter what we call an aggressive solicitation, somebody who sent them a kind of sexual message and is trying to follow that up in some way by actually trying to meet them or arranging to contact them offline as well."

	==="~~Hook up~~ apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people===		==="Hookup apps" as queer-positive spaces for young (LGBT) people===

	Gender and Sexual Minority youth in particular,<ref>[https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001 Macapagal K, Moskowitz DA, Li DH, Carrión A, Bettin E, Fisher CB, Mustanski B. (2018) Hookup App Use, Sexual Behavior, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States. J Adolesc Health. 2018 Jun;62(6):708-715. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001. PMID: 29784114; PMCID: PMC5967650.]</ref><ref>[https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-42824-001 McGregor, M. M., Li, L. Y., Trivedi, E., Sarkas, S. E., Sritharan, A., Massac, L., Durham, K., Allen, N. B., Auerbach, R. P., & Shankman, S. A. (2025). A longitudinal study of objective dating app usage and its relation to mental health in adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Advance online publication.]</ref> feel the need to avail themselves of hookup and dating apps, with a considerable minority now using them to facilitate early sexual experiences. This presents an unique public health challenge, although use of these apps is not deemed to be harmful per se.		Gender and Sexual Minority youth in particular,<ref>[https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001 Macapagal K, Moskowitz DA, Li DH, Carrión A, Bettin E, Fisher CB, Mustanski B. (2018) Hookup App Use, Sexual Behavior, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States. J Adolesc Health. 2018 Jun;62(6):708-715. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.001. PMID: 29784114; PMCID: PMC5967650.]</ref><ref>[https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-42824-001 McGregor, M. M., Li, L. Y., Trivedi, E., Sarkas, S. E., Sritharan, A., Massac, L., Durham, K., Allen, N. B., Auerbach, R. P., & Shankman, S. A. (2025). A longitudinal study of objective dating app usage and its relation to mental health in adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Advance online publication.]</ref> feel the need to avail themselves of hookup and dating apps, with a considerable minority now using them to facilitate early sexual experiences. This presents an unique public health challenge, although use of these apps is not deemed to be harmful per se.