DigiPlay 6: Moving Forwards in Digital Leisure Research

Wednesday 14th Sept 2005
School of Sport and Leisure Management
Sheffield Hallam University

Risk of harm from online and related offline activities: New challenges in the conceptualisation and regulation of harmful media content

Rachel O'Connell & Jo Bryce (University of Central Lancashire)

Research examining the consequences of exposure to 'harmful content' for children and young people has been restricted by the underlying conceptualisation of them as passive recipients of media content and information. This has impeded theoretical and empirical progress toward a more holistic understanding of the interrelated factors that underpin children and young people's involvement with, experiences and interpretation of online activities and experiences. Recognition of the active consumption and production of online content and communications, together with a reconceptualisation of the concept of 'harmful media content' as 'Risk of harm from online and related offline activities', are important initial steps in developing a theoretical, empirical and policy-based research framework which can be utilised in the protection of the well-being, dignity and human rights of minors in the emergent knowledge economy.

This presentation outlines a theoretical framework and a taxonomy of the range of online and related offline activities and behaviours which may be deemed to pose a 'risk of harm' to children and young people. Such activities and their associated outcomes require an ecological research approach that considers how children and young people respond to, and interpret, perceived risk of harm within the context of their everyday lives and utilisation of new and emerging social networking and communications technologies.

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