Boys and girls taking risks online: A gendered perspective on social context and adolescents’ risky online behavior

Abstract

This study explores gender differences in the relationship between adolescents’ risky online behavior and their social context, as in family factors and the prevalence of Internet use in a country. Using the EU Kids Online dataset, including information on 8554, 14- to 16-year-old adolescents in 25 countries, and applying multilevel modeling, this study shows that social context is additionally and differentially related to adolescent boys’ and girls’ risky online behavior. When taking individual characteristics such as sensation seeking and digital skills into account, particularly for male adolescents, growing up in a single-parent household and lacking parental co-use increases the chance of online risk behavior. Adolescents, especially males, however, are less likely to participate in risky online behavior in societies where Internet use is widespread. Overall, this study shows that it is important to take account of individual and social factors when explaining adolescents’ online risk taking and gender differences herein.