30% of Teen Girls Will Meet Online 'Friends' Offline

Show signs of risky behavior

Nearly 30 percent of teenage girls have met people offline after becoming 'friends' online, according to a new study. And one in 10 experienced some form of exploitation, ranging from sexual advances to rape, during that offline interaction. In many cases the identity of that online 'friend' was not fully confirmed before the meeting. The study also found that girls who previously faced abuse or neglect were likelier to exhibit "high risk" online behavior, including racy social media profiles or accepting online sexual advances. But because the study included a large number of at-risk youth, some experts doubt those numbers apply to the general population. Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy lawyer said, "[Meeting] straight strangers? No way. I just don't see that as happening. The kids have gotten very sophisticated about this issue." (Today)

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