Why One Sex Survey Didn’t Make The Big Time
By DEBBIE NATHAN
A study you've probably not heard of just came out: "Online Requests for Sexual Pictures from Youth: Risk Factors and Incident Characteristics." It's in the August issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, authored by prominent researchers at the University of New Hampshire, including David Finkelhor.
Their data come from a phone survey of 1500 kids aged 10 to 17. Of these, 65 – about four percent – said they'd been asked while online to send out nude pictures of themselves. Only one kid complied.
Presumably, the rest said "bug off." Still, many of the 65 who got asked for pictures were upset about it. Even if they didn't send anything, they felt harassed, even stalked, and that's surely a problem. Kids deserve to feel safe wherever they are, including on the Net. If they don't, adults need to help make things better. The press goes for civic duty news, and generally salivates over internet-and-kids sex stories even if they lack redeeming social value. So you'd think this study would have appeared on Page Ones everywhere.
Instead, it's generally been ignored or misrepresented.
Why?
Probably because a look at the data reveals that kids who were asked to send pix tended to be black. Or to be precise, teenaged girl black. Associated risk factors included: hanging around a lot in chat rooms, intentionally downloading porn, acting mean and agressive online, and being depressed. This sort of victim doesn't play well in Peoria. In the unspoken but ever present public mind, the study might as well be titled "Online Requests for Sexual Pictures from Loser Hos." To skirt that problem, most news outlets ignored the report entirely. A few used an Associated Press item that omitted race, gender, and most other risk factors.
So much for the mainstream media's interest in science and protecting our children.
Smart assed editorial opinions that should be kept to myself. Along with random video clips and pictures to go along with stories I find that you might find worth having seen. Oh and thanks for stopping by and validating my existence, baby.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Whisky Tango Firefox!!!
As I have said before. No internet until your 25yrs old. Get this the "predators" want the young black females. But since the mighty whitey media don't. Its not a story thank you sharing though.
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