THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL NETWORKS ON THE SPREADING OF ONLINE SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACTS AGAINST MINORS

Online sexual harassment of children is of increasing occurrence according to research papers and international reports. Control measures have been taken at all levels of the legislative systems. This study deals with the risks of being exposed to different forms of sexual harassment through the use of social networks - esp. Facebook. According to reports of EU Kids Online and Save the Children Romania it is apparent that the usual age restrictions applied by social networks cannot protect minors. This paper is based on a sample of 607 Internet users in order to explore aspects of online sexual harassment acts committed against minors in Romania. Results show that social network sites are presenting significant danger in terms of spreading of online sexual harassment acts committed against children. Evidence has been found that the minimum age requirement of 13 years applied by Facebook is a formal and insufficient measure to protect children.