Navigating the Internet Safely: Recommendations for Residential Programs Targeting At-Risk Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is a period during human development characterized by a variety of biological, psychological, and social changes. Navigating these changes can be a stressful experience for both adolescents and their families. To complicate matters further, the Internet has altered the landscape of human interaction in a way that may accentuate deficits in the capacity for self-sustaining, reciprocal peer relationships. Adolescents suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders may be especially prone to this influence, as evidenced by our observation of the growing clinical trend of adolescents admitted to inpatient and residential psychiatric units who present with a history of risky cyber-behaviors. Within these settings, education for adolescents and their families around appropriate use of the Internet, as well as social training for the online management of the impulsivity and poor judgment that is so often characteristic of adolescence, is vital. Milieu models employed in the treatment of emotionally troubled adolescents must adapt so as to incorporate the identification of problematic attachment behaviors not only in real-time relationships, but also as those behaviors inevitably occur in more troubling and potentially destructive ways over the Internet. The article addresses this need by offering recommendations for the creation of a skills-based, Internet-focused curriculum for inpatient and residential programs targeting at-risk adolescents. Evaluating the association between online communication habits and the evolution of disturbances in attachment systems is an important future direction for research aimed at safeguarding the emotional and physical well-being of all adolescents.

Digital Pathways to Wellness Among Youth in Residential Treatment: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

“…As illustrated in the findings and recommendations, while increased degrees of adult support may be needed at times for individual situations or particularly vulnerable youth, supporting them to problem solve as they navigate online opportunities and confront harmful content is recognized as an effective approach. These skills include a combination of digital literacy skills, interpersonal skills, and emotion regulation strategies to address the technical, relational, and emotional elements of digital media use (Denby Brinson et al, 2015;Gustavsson & MacEachron, 2015;Pridgen, 2010). Gustavsson and MacEachron (2015) recommend addressing the heightened online risk among youth in out-of-home child welfare placements through a collaborative approach between youth and service providers.…”

“…While the degree of vulnerability among youth in RT varies in severity and complexity, they share characteristics that are associated with youth who are more affected by online harm (Anderson, 2017; Pridgen, 2010). Typically, between the ages of 13 and 18 years, youth in RT often have encountered adversity associated with traumatic experiences and/or characteristics increasing their vulnerability.…”

Internet addiction disorder

“…The available research on game addiction centers mostly on young males worldwide. There is some evidence to believe that the onset of IA is probably in late childhood/early adolescence [31]. There are many reports in countries such as China and South Korea.…”

“…Adolescents who are lacking emotional and psychological support are found to be at highest risk and so are the adolescents with identified emotional and behavioral disorders [31].…”

“Sexting” Among U.S. Adolescents: Psychological and Legal Perspectives

“…4 Reports suggest that the role of social media (e.g., cell phones and text messaging, social-networking sites, gaming sites, virtual worlds) in adolescent clinical presentations is increasingly common in child forensic practice 5 and among youth in residential care. 6 Researchers have therefore suggested that a significant part of the current generation's social and emotional development occurs relative to those technologies. 7 Empirical guidance on ways to manage such phenomena clinically is obviously needed.…”