Other kids are the biggest threat to kids online

Report: biggest online threat to kids is other kids

Overall, the report generally concludes that the general public may have an impression that the Internet is awash in predatory pedophiles, but that picture is simply unsupported by the research that's available. Those risks that do exist don't appear to be specific to the online world, as the report suggests, "the risks minors face online are complex and multifaceted and are in most cases not significantly different than those they face offline." As one of the participants stated, "the truth is that there is no 'Internet safety,' there is simply 'safety.'"

So, for example, when it comes to pornography and nudity, the majority of the exposure occurs offline, through traditional media such as TV and movies. A number of younger individuals do get exposed to images they find disturbing online, but the majority of those who view porn online are older adolescent boys who have actively sought it out. In a significant number of these cases, the images that disturb adolescents the most are the ones produced by their fellow adolescents; as the report notes, "there are also concerns about other content, including child pornography and the violent, pornographic, and other problematic content that youth themselves generate."

The task force also examined bullying and harassment online, but came to the same conclusion as other recent studies: it happens, but it's generally happening as an extension of the child's offline social world, rather than as a distinct Internet phenomenon.