How unwanted contact occurs online
Unwanted contact may occur when children or young people do not use adequate privacy controls to protect their online content or if they don’t use appropriate discretion when deciding who to communicate with and what to disclose online.
As the internet provides anonymity and a sense of community, it can facilitate an early trust and intimacy not typical in offline relationships. For example, online games encourage communication and collaboration between players who may be from a range of locations, backgrounds and ages. While this enhanced communication is generally positive, there is also the possibility of individuals communicating with those they might not choose to engage with in their online lives.
On social networking sites and chat rooms, some younger users bypass recommended age restrictions to set up profiles. This means they may be engaging in an environment primarily created for older users.
For many young people, particularly girls, the internet is a critical social tool for maintaining peer and friendship groups, allowing images and information to be readily shared with others. However, if privacy controls are not adequately used, shared intimate details and images may reach a broader audience than originally intended, potentially drawing unwanted attention from the broader peer group or strangers. This can include unwanted sexual attention. Information can also be misused by perpetrators of cyberbullying.