Risks on the Internet: the role of family support in Colombian adolescents

Introduction. Internet users, especially adolescents, may experience online risks that can affect their mental health. This study examined the association between online risks and family support as this has been conceptualized as variable that can prevent the risks in the Internet use among adolescents. Method. We applied an adapted version to Colombian population of the Kids on Line survey. The sample included 96 participants between 11 and 18 years old (F=58.3%), 41.6% of the respondents had low family incomes and 58.4% had middle family incomes from Bello, Colombia, 58.3% were girls (Mean Age=13.99; SD = 2.034). Results. The results confirmed the hypothesis that those adolescents who perceive family support, defined as a set of actions of acompainment, active listening, counseling and trust between family members, present less online risks. Discussion and Conclusion. Although the results of this research show an inverse relationship between family support and risks on the Internet, there is no a statistically significant correlation. This could be explained because although the family has an important role over the prevention of adolescents' risk behaviors online, this is also limited, specially with older teenagers, who spend more time with friends and may be encouraged by their friends to involve themselves in general risky behaviors. In this sense, the family support that involves the family as a whole and that transcends the mediation centered on the parental figures has important implications in the understanding and prevention of the online risks, as positive links between family members, based on an adequeate interaction and communication, may help to mediate the risks and provide support to teenagers.