The internet and young people with Additional Support Needs (ASN): Risk and safety

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the understanding of online risks by young people with Additional Support Needs and this group's ability to manage these risks.Six focus groups with 36 young people (13-18) were run in local schools. Discussions were recorded, transcribed and analysed using Framework Analysis. Two themes were identified 'Identity and Connectedness' and 'Issues relating to Risk'. The theme 'Issues relating to Risk' is presented in the current article. Results showed that young people with ASN are aware of a range of risks online and have developed some strategies to manage these. Issues including supervision and the diverse range of ability within the population are also shown to present barriers to ensuring online safety. The results were discussed in light of literature relating to online risk, safety and potential psychological impact indicating that the internet may also provide important opportunities for young people with ASN to improve psychological wellbeing.

El Sexting a través del discurso de adolescentes españoles

“…Frente a las oportunidades y ventajas asociadas, el acceso generalizado a las TICS, de forma paralela se ha generado un clima de preocupación social en torno a los peligros a los que se exponen los/las adolescentes. Diversos trabajos advierten de las posibles consecuencias negativas derivadas de un mal uso de la Red y las TICS (Bannon et al, 2015;Rial et al, 2014b) y es precisamente en este marco de prácticas virtuales "peligrosas" donde surgen las conductas de sexting.…”

How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet?

“…2015). Bannon et al (2015) reports the results of a focus group study conducted with 36 young people described as having 'additional support needs' designed to investigate their understanding of online risks. The results revealed that the young people were aware of a range of risks and had developed some strategies to manage these which often involved asking for support from adults or peers.…”

“…There is evidence to show that some people with IDD may not necessarily be unaware of the risks of Internet use (Löfgren-Mårtenson, 2008;Bannon, McGlynn, McKenzie, & Quayle. 2015).…”

Examining the Effect of Online Gaming Addiction on Adolescent Behavior

“…This number is still increasing, and even children between the ages of 5 and 8 have a local internet connection. Society has given more attention to protecting adolescents and children from external physical hazards, and they have not paid attention to technological interaction [2], [4] and [5]. Computer and artificial intelligence experts say there is an emotional connection between teens and electronic games around the world, as they seem to know in their depths that they are the computer generation [15].…”