NCJ Number
237476
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 253-268
Date Published
September 2011
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined online victimization research by examining the use of online social networks.
Abstract
In the last decade, online social networking Web sites have become immensely popular worldwide, with the number of users growing exponentially. With a social network account, users can post an array of personal information and link their profile to those of other users, forming virtual communities. In the last few years, security and protection of private information posted on social networking sites has piqued the interest of researchers. Generally, the focus of this research has been limited to describing the type of information posted by users, with few studies examining the relationship between users' adoption of security measures for their social networking sites and negative online experiences, such as online interpersonal victimization. The examination of the relationship between users' online social network activity, online social network security, and online interpersonal victimization found that users who engaged in risky online behaviors, such as opening numerous social network accounts and adding strangers as friends, were more likely to be victimized online. (Published Abstract)