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June 18, 2008'Startling New Reality' of Cybercrime Revealed in Rochester Institute of Technology Research; Children Frequently Utilize Technology to Prey on Friends and Classmates Online |
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From Ascribe Newsfeed: There's a new cyber enemy for parents to worry about - and it's not the stereotypical middle-aged stranger that has long been feared. A Rochester Institute of Technology study of more than 40,000 adolescents reveals that 59 percent of cyber victims, in grades 7-9, say their perpetrators are a "friend" that they know personally. "Most people have long thought the perpetrators of cybercrime to be some 'boogey man' holed up in his attic, searching the Internet for children to prey on," says Sam McQuade, who led the research effort and is the graduate program coordinator in RIT's Center for Multidisciplinary Studies. The survey was administered to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, varying by grade level, in 14 different school districts. One in 10 second- and third-graders report having been "mean to someone" online, while one in five report that someone online has been mean to them." Twenty-one percent of 10th- through 12th-graders admitted using a computer or electronic device to cheat on a school assignment within the last school year. Forty-eight percent of kindergarteners and first-graders reported viewing online content that made them feel uncomfortable. That's why The Cyber Safety and Ethics Initiative is comprised of representatives from higher education, K-12 education, community groups and members of the business community. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations.
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