This research theme explores the links between adolescent use of technology, and pathways into various forms of cyberdeviance, including hacking, cyberfraud, cyberbullying, cyberhate, cybervioleance, sexting, and image-based abuse. The projects contained within this theme are both longitudinal and cross-sectional, and seek to better understand the social, technical and development factors that are associated with youth engagement in cybercrime.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS


South Australia Digital Youth Survey

This research project explores how young people use digital technology and how this changes over the course of adolescence. We are interested in how different factors (individual, social, and contextual) shape the kinds and extent of technology use, and in particular, patterns of internet usage that may be risky.

This research is funded by the Australian Research Council.

Understanding Tolerance and Diversity Online Project

This research project explores young people’s encounters with offensive and discriminatory content online. The project is particularly interested in the types of encounters young people have, how young people make sense of this content and the individual, social and technological factors which influence their response.

Adolescent Misrepresentation Online Project

This research project examines how and why adolescents misrepresent themselves online. In particular, this project considers adolescent experiences of circumventing and accessing online ‘adult-based platforms’ (e.g. a platform which requires users to be of, or above, the age of 18-years-old, including online adult dating sites and subscription-based accounts).

Featured research outputs