“During a research project for one of our clients, we logged onto Habbo-hotel. To our amazement we were approached quickly and various times with sexually-loaded comments that left little to the imagination. It is shocking. And disturbing. Particularly as this social platform focuses on children. A danger of grooming is hidden here.”
Children are exposed to digital grooming and other undesirable behaviour online
The sexually-loaded comments that Carlijn Broekman and her colleagues’ avatars received were the reason for new exploratory research on Habbo-hotel into the grooming issue: digital child grooming. “We made various avatars of 13-year-old girls. We went online at different times of the day over a number of days. Our avatars stayed stationary in the lobby of the digital hotel. In spite of this passive behaviour we were approached no fewer than 60 times in 7 hours. Our avatars were asked whether they wanted to kiss, perform certain actions or give their telephone numbers. If we responded once, we were urged to undress in front of the webcam. Painful. There are hardly any controls on these one-to-one chats. There is automatic censure of forbidden words but it’s easy to get around this. If you see what children between 13 and 17 are subjected to on this social platform….surely we cannot accept this?!”
12 IS THE NEW 16
“It is difficult to ascertain who is hiding behind an avatar. Is it a child experimenting and demonstrating transgressive behaviour? Or is it an adult, a paedophile? Our exploration offers insight into the many risks children face on the internet. It also shows that the translation of common norms and values trails behind in the digital world. What we came across on Habbo-hotel occurs on other social platforms too. And I expect this problem will only increase as more and more children use social platforms at a young age, when they are still unable to properly evaluate the consequences of their behaviour. It is now becoming the case that: 12 is the new 16. Experimental behaviour associated with 16-year-olds is now being demonstrated by 12-year-olds, with their level of cognitive capacity. And they are doing this using all the possibilities offered by the internet. With all the risks involved. Because cognitively, such behaviour doesn’t fit a 12-year-old.”
Unintenionally unsafe
“Bullying and grooming are known problems in the physical world. These now also take place in an online context that is still relatively new. Common norms and values are missing in this environment. That is why I consider it important that this theme is placed on society’s agenda. And that there is discussion on how we as society should handle this phenomenon. Do we want to set boundaries, enforce norms and values online, and maintain and uphold supervision? Because, as shown by this research, children are exposing themselves unintentionally to undesirable and unsafe behaviour. But which interventions are required and how can we ensure they are effective? Take the different lesson packages being circulated as intervention. A framework will help test these for quality. We are discussing the development of these with a number of important societal stakeholders. Another intervention is digitation, a digital response to unsafe or transgressive behaviour in youth.”
“This is a new method of influencing online behaviour positively. Motivating, demotivating, de-escalating or intervening are important elements. There is also a need to improve information, for example from the police. It is about who says what and in what way. The content and sender of the message need to be determined with care. For interventions, behavioural learning and technology go hand-in-hand. Technology enables us, for example, to estimate someone’s age based on their chats. This can be used to prevent undesirable contact. Another possibility is to use an avatar that unexpectedly teaches children if they share personal information with him. For example, by showing them the consequences of their behaviour. Technology can be our sixth sense regarding online dangers. But mental awareness, signalling dangers and avoidance remain extremely important solution directions.”