Risicogedrag en het wereldwijde web - De invloed van gezin en samenleving op het online risicogedrag van adolescenten vanuit een Europees perspectief

Abstract

This study explores the relation between adolescents’ risky online behavior, their parents’ internet mediation and the prevalence of internet use in a country. Using the EU Kids Online dataset, including information on 15,415 adolescents in 25 countries, this study found that adolescents from lower educated and single-parent households are more likely to engage in risky online behavior. Furthermore, parental social internet mediation and especially rules restricting children’s internet use appear to be effective ways to reduce risk-taking by adolescents online. Parental monitoring seems to increase when adolescents are risky online. The level of modernization of a country seems to have no effect on adolescents’ participation in risky online activities. However, in more digitalized societies, parental social mediation seems less decisive in reducing risky behavior of adolescents online. Applying restrictions on internet use in the family home is an effective way to curb young people’s risky online behavior, regardless of a country’s level of internet diffusion.