title: Childhood abuse, avatar choices, and other risk factors associated with internet-initiated victimization of adolescent girls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to determine the risk factors for Internet-initiated victimization of female adolescents. In particular, it was expected that girls who experienced childhood abuse would show higher vulnerability than their nonabused peers. In addition, the study examined how provocative self-presentations might be related to online sexual advances and offline encounters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years who had experienced substantiated childhood abuse (N = 104) were demographically matched with nonabused girls (N = 69) and surveyed regarding Internet usage, maternal and paternal caregiver presence, substance use, high-risk sexual attitudes, and involvement with high-risk peers. To measure online self-presentation, participants each created avatars, which were quantified according to the degree of provocative physical features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty percent of the sample reported experiencing online sexual advances, and 26% reported meeting someone offline who they first met online. Abused girls were significantly more likely to have experienced online sexual advances and to have met someone offline. Having been abused and choosing a provocative avatar were significantly and independently associated with online sexual advances, which were, in turn, associated with offline encounters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A history of childhood abuse may increase Internet-initiated victimization vulnerability. Parents should be aware of the ways in which their adolescents are presenting themselves online. Making adolescent girls and their parents aware that provocative online self-presentations may have implications for sexual solicitation might help to ward off sexual advances and might help prevent Internet-initiated victimizations. Practitioners should consider standard inquiry into Internet and media usage an aspect of comprehensive care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. jennie.noll@cchmc.org
authors.forename: Jennie G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Noll
authors.forename: Chad E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Shenk
authors.forename: Jaclyn E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Putnam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D020407:Internet; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012984:Software; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013561:Symbolism; D014584:User-Computer Interface