Debate Guide: Online dangers

Before moving on to the argument at hand, we would like to point out that someone who believes that an hour's web connection with browser is more dangerous than an hour's life outside the home in most urban communities, is clearly delusional.

"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"

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.

Source [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.

Source, "Just the facts about online youth victimisation" - Finkelhor and others.