The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) council member Pamela Wisniewski was featured in the Center for Democracy & Technology Research for an important study on online risk experiences of youth and the interventions needed to protect them from harm.
The study highlights the necessity of a nuanced approach to youth online safety, emphasizing that not all young people face the same level of risk. Instead of implementing broad measures, tailored interventions should address the specific needs of different youth subgroups.
Using the survey responses from their study, Wisniewski and her colleagues identified five risk profiles with a unique set of online and offline risks, some including low risk, increased self harm and high risk perpetration, which might benefit from interventions targeting drug abuse and other illegal activities.
According to the study, prioritizing resources for the most vulnerable youth, ensures that urgent cases receive immediate attention, thus addressing systemic inequalities in access to support services.
“By focusing on the most vulnerable youth who may need more online protections, we can develop targeted interventions that are more effective than blanket policies or practices that do not meet youth where they are,” Wisniewski said.
As the online safety of youth has become a national priority, Wisniewski sees the need to begin thinking about evidence-based approaches to protect and empower youth online that do not result in restrictive and surveillance-based tactics that disadvantage future generations.
By aligning interventions with the lived experiences of young people, social media platforms and policymakers can provide more effective support.
