Sexual cyberbullying in adolescents: wrong beliefs Ciberacoso Sexual en adolescentes: creencias erróneas

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to identify misconceptions of teenagers about online sexual harassment. In order to do this five discussion groups were held with a total of 37 high-school students from Valencia, between 14 and 18 years of age. Interpretative analysis of the data reveals that teenagers understand the phenomenon as an interactional dynamics with several phases through which an easily identifiable man ("myth of the dirty  old man") that contacts them through Internet intends to obtain sexual benefits by using predominantly aggressive strategies. They recognize this is a very frequent yet easily avoidable situation if certain signs of alarm are detected ("detectability myth"and "control fallacy") by using one’s own common sense ("the myth of invincibility") -this is why they consider the victim responsible for his/her own situation and attribute the victim’s silence to the "reasonable fear" of social disapproval, stigmatization and punishment. In addition, teenagers interpret any adult attempt of protection as a lack of trust and as a threat to their freedom regarding their online-activity, so they reject this supervision and/or break the rules. In conclusion, misconceptions that might contribute to the onset and maintenance of the dynamics of victimization exist and their identification can help design more effective prevention programs and more specific intervention strategies.