Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Nature And Dynamics Of Internet Pornography Exposure For Youth., Chiara Sabina, Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor

Sociology

Abstract

We examined exposure to Internet pornography before the age of 18, as reported by college students (n = 563), via an online survey. Ninety-three percent of boys and 62% of girls were exposed to online pornography during adolescence. Exposure prior to age 13 was relatively uncommon. Boys were more likely to be exposed at an earlier age, to see more images, to see more extreme images (e.g., rape, child pornography), and to view pornography more often, while girls reported more involuntary exposure. If participants in this study are typical of young people, exposure to pornography on the Internet can …

Who Cares About Polar Regions? Results From A Survey Of U.S. Public Opinion, Lawrence C. Hamilton

Sociology

Abstract

What do members of the general public know about polar regions, and how much do they care? Who knows or cares? This paper explores data from the General Social Survey (GSS), which in 2006 questioned a representative sample of more than 1800 U.S. adults about their knowledge and opinions concerning polar regions. The polar survey items were modeled on long-running GSS assessments of general science knowledge and opinions, recently summarized in the U.S. National Science Board's report Science and Engineering Indicators 2008. Polar knowledge proves to be limited but certainly not absent among survey respondents. Polar knowledge, general science …

Evaluating Children’S Advocacy Centers’ Response To Child Sexual Abuse, Theodore P. Cross, Lisa M. Jones, Wendy A. Walsh, Monique Simone, David Kolko, Joyce Sczepanski, Tonya Lippert, Karen Davison, Arthur Crynes, Polly Sosnowski, Amy L. Shadoin, Suzanne Magnuson

Sociology

Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) play an increasingly significant role in the response to child sexual abuse and other child maltreatment in the United States. First developed in the 1980s, CACs were designed to reduce the stress on child abuse victims and families created by traditional child abuse investigation and prosecution procedures and to improve the effectiveness of the response. According to several experts (Fontana, 1984; Pence and Wilson, 1992; Whitcomb, 1992), child victims were subjected to multiple, redundant interviews about their abuse by different agencies, and were questioned by professionals who had no knowledge of children’s developmental limitations or experience …

Demographic Trends In New England At Mid-Decade, Kenneth M. Johnson

Sociology

With 14.3 million residents, New England is home to just 5 percent of the U.S. population, yet it reflects many of the strands that comprise the country’s demographic fabric: densely settled urban cores, expanding suburbs, struggling industrial towns, fast-growing recreational and retirement amenity areas, and isolated rural villages. In recent years New England’s population grew thanks to immigration and more births than deaths, but there is a net outflow of existing residents. Therein lies the challenge for policymakers who want to keep the region vibrant and diverse. A closer look at the demographics may help.

Is Talking Online To Unknown People Always Risky? Distinguishing Online Interaction Styles In A National Sample Of Youth Internet Users., Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell

Sociology

Abstract

We examined the risk of unwanted online sexual solicitations and characteristics associated with four online interaction styles among youth Internet users. The interaction styles took into account the people with whom youth interacted online (people known in person only, unknown people met through face-to-face friends, unknown people met in chatroom, and other places online) and high- and low-risk patterns of online behavior. The aim was to provide a basis for identifying which youth may be most at risk from interacting online with unknown people.