Children's Exposure to Negative Internet Content: Effects of Family Context

Abstract

Concerned that inappropriate Internet content may jeopardize the health or safety of children, this study is designed to provide insights into children's exposure to negative Internet content by building a hy- pothesized theoretical model that examines the effect of family context factors (family cohesion, shared Web activities, parents' Internet skill, and parents' perceived control) on children's exposure to negative Internet content. Findings from the 178 participating families who com- pleted the survey demonstrate that children are more exposed to nega- tive Internet content than what most parents expect. Parents' perceived control, obtained through shared Web activities and family cohesion, was determined to actually reduce children's exposure to negative Internet content.

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