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Paper

The Internet as resource for working with youth at risk: Attitudes of normative and dropout adolescents towards using the Internet

abstract

Background. This paper examines youth at risk, and their attitudes toward the internet. The comparison of the attitudes of this vulnerable youth population with those of normative youth toward Internet could indicate the degree to which the internet is another possible resource for working with youth at risk.

Purpose. The purpose of the present study was to explore the internet as a resource for working with youth at risk. The question was whether there are differences between the attitudes of normative adolescents (defined here as those who attend public schools) and dropout adolescents (not in school but maintain contact with community services) toward internet use. Specifically, the study focused on counseling through the internet, social connections, and expanding interest fields.

Research on this issue is limited and the findings are mixed. Some studies (Morales, Turcott, Campos, & Ligman, 1998) reported little use of computer and internet by youth at risk, as well as negative attitudes toward computers, especially from adolescents of a lower socioeconomic background. Other studies (e.g., Romi, Hansenson, & Hansenson, 2002; Romi & Zoabi, 2003, Winter, 1997) reported change and a new approach that indicated growing exposure to computers and the internet.

While initially available only to few, access to computers is now commonplace in both formal and non-formal educational settings, allowing access to information resources and to a world of social connections. The experience of surfing the net gives the youth at risk a "ticket" to the normative world.

Method. The study population included 101 participants - 51 normative adolescents (23 boys and 28 girls) who attended regular public schools, and 50 adolescents (32 boys and 18 girls) described as at-risk and in distress.

These adolescents are cared for by several agencies - the "Children of the Night" outreach vans of the Sharon (central Israel) region of Elem (Youth in Distress in Israel), local Services for Young Women in Distress, and members of the local Division for the Advancement of Youth. Participants were given valid questionnaires to fill out individually.

The questionnaires included personal details, a questionnaire examining perception of self-efficacy, and a questionnaire measuring use of internet among adolescents. Most questionnaires were handed out during group secsions.

Findings. Findings reveal significant differences in the demographic attributes of both groups, specifically as relating to their parents. Normative adolescents reported that their fathers had more school years than the fathers of their at-risk counterparts. A larger number of at-risk adolescents reported that their mothers do not work in comparison to the mothers of normative adolescents. They also differed significantly in their perception of self-efficacy, which was higher among the normative adolescents.

Surprisingly, no significant differences in general were found in the degree to which a computer is used and the ways of using computers and the internet. Both groups were similar in their use of spreadsheets, databases, and computer games, with the normative adolescents showing a slight advantage in use of word processing and graphics software. In addition, no difference was found in most measures related to Internet use (i.e., frequency of logging in and reasons for initiating use). More dropout adolescents surfed regular sites than their normative peers, and the normative adolescents made greater use of downloading resources. No clear distinction could be discerned in Internet content such as surfing areas of interest, information seeking, forums, and chats. The only significant difference was in use of email, which was more prevalent among normative adolescents.

With the great strides made in the world of computers, they are becoming more accessible to more users, so that even groups that initially had little or no contact with computers - including detached / at-risk adolescents - are finding them increasingly accessible. Our study reveals that youth at-risk has become part of the virtual world and uses it frequently. Among the at-risk adolescents in this study, 93.8% have computers at home, and 91.5% are connected to the internet (compared to 100% in both categories for normative adolescents).

The report will discuss the significance of the findings and the place of computer and internet as a resource for work with youth at risk. Access to the computer can provide the adolescents with programs and information that could help them integrate into the normative world. However, there is a clear danger that they may avail themselves of the negative aspects of using the internet, such as developing a false identity and becoming involved with delinquent and criminal worlds of content. Such worlds, which prior to computer use would require that the adolescent seek and find, are now only a click away.

Key references

Morales, C., Turcott, V., Campos, A., & Ligman, L. (1998). Actitudes de los escolares hacia la computadora y los medios de aprendizaje. Instituto Latinoamericano de la Comunicación educativa (ILCE). http://investigacion.ilce.edu.mx.

Romi, S., Hansenson, G., & Hansenson, A. (2002). E-learning: A comparison between expected and observed attitudes of normative and dropout adolescents. Educational Media International, 39(1), 47-54.

Romi, S., & Zoabi, H. (2003). The influence of computer technology learning programs on attitudes toward computers and self-esteem among Arab dropout youth. Educational Media International, 40, 259-268.

Winter, R. (1997). Teens and technology. Educational Media International, 34(4), 178-180.

Contacts: Shlomo Romi, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Israel, E-mail: romish@mail.biu.ac.i,l Phone +972-3-5318710, Fax + 972-3-7384030.

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