Children's Exposure to Negative Internet Content: Effects of Family Context

Concerned that inappropriate Internet content may jeopardize the health or safety of children, this study is designed to provide insights into children's exposure to negative Internet content by building a hypothesized theoretical model that examines the effect of family context factors (family cohesion, shared Web activities, parents' Internet skill, and parents' perceived control) on children's exposure to negative Internet content. Findings from the 178 participating families who completed the survey demonstrate that children are more exposed to negative Internet content than what most parents expect. Parents' perceived control, obtained through shared Web activities and family cohesion, was determined to actually reduce children's exposure to negative Internet content.