Randoms vs Weirdos: Teen Use of Social Networking Sites and Perceptions of Legal Risk

Abstract

This article reports on research to identify the risks relevant to teens when using these services and provide them with practical guidance regarding how to miminise and avoid such risks. The authors, drawn from the education and law disciplines, undertook to ascertain the actual scale and nature of use of SNS among teenagers in years 7 to 10, the perceptions of risk associated with such use and the actual legal risks. The project produced both a report detailing the outcomes of the research and an educational resource to be distributed to all Victorian schools that may be used to assist students, teachers and parents to discuss and critically consider the risks and legal implications of using SNS. This article discusses some key outcomes of the study related to use of SNS and perceptions of legal risks.

Keywords: social networking, legal risk, teenagers, risk education, risk reduction strategies

JEL Classification: K10, K19, K20, K29, K30, K32, K39, K40, K49