Adolescents’ Perception Of Risky Behaviour On The Internet

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As the usage of the Internet is growing among young people, their engagement in risky behaviours online is also increasing. However, adolescents’ may not perceive these behaviours as risky. Thus, the research questions of this study are: (1) how do adolescents perceive different forms of risky behaviour on the Internet? (2) Are there any demographical differences in adolescents perception of risky behaviour on the Internet? The purpose of this study is to find out if there are any differences in adolescents’ perception of risky behaviour on the Internet, regarding their age, gender, and engagement in online risky behaviour. Research method used was a cross-sectional survey with a questionnaire, based on a variety of the forms of risky behaviours on the Internet (e.g. sexting; sharing personal photos). Adolescents’ perceptions of risky behaviours online were measured on the scale from 1 (not risky at all) to 10 (very risky). 152 Lithuanian adolescents (63 boys and 89 girls) aged 12 to18 participated in the study. The results showed that students perceive various forms of behaviour on the Internet as risky. Their risk perception differs according to their gender (girls perceive behaviours as riskier than boys), age (younger adolescents perceive behaviours as riskier than older ones), and engagement in risky behaviours online (those who engage less rate behaviour as riskier). Thus, older male students and students who engage in risky behaviour online more often are less likely to recognize and perceive behaviours on the Internet as risky. More attention should be paid in educating adolescents about risky online behaviours.