The New Normal? Young People, Technology & Online Behaviour.

Abstract

In this article we draw from our own empirical work - with schools, ranging from assemblies around ‘online safety’ to workshops on specific issues such as the influence of the Internet and social media on relationships, with ethnographic investigations of social media forums, and with professional stakeholders in the management and prevention of online child sexual exploitation. We argue that there is some evidence of a shift in attitudes towards sexual abuse and exploitation, particularly among young people, where technology facilitates the legitimisation, mainstreaming and even normalization of concerning views and behaviours in relation to children, sexual abuse and victimisation.