Award Date

1-1-2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Criminal Justice

First Committee Member

M. Alexis Kennedy

Number of Pages

76

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of victimization on social networking sites. Current media reports depict social networks as being targets for violence and sexual predators, but limited research on the subject has shown otherwise. A total of 354 students completed a survey regarding harassment, stalking, and sexual assault both online and offline. Koss' (1998) Sexual Experiences Survey was also used to measure sexual assault rates amongst the current sample. Analyses showed that violent victimization rates were low on social networking sites, while verbal harassment, incessant unwanted behaviors, and sexual harassment were all fairly prevalent on these sites. Furthermore, it was seen that there were significant differences between the location of victimization (online or offline), but further analysis is necessary to determine what factors influence these differences. The low rates of serious online victimization suggest that although social networking sites may provide opportunities for certain types of victimization, those perpetrated offline are still more prevalent and harmful.

Keywords

Networking; Sites; Social; Victimization

Controlled Subject

Criminology; Mass media

File Format

pdf

File Size

1628.16 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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