latimes

The majority of teenagers who ascii117se social networking websites say their peers are mostly kind to one another online, bascii117t 88% still say they have witnessed people being mean and crascii117el on sascii117ch sites, according to a new stascii117dy. Fifteen percent say they have been the target of bad behavior on social media sites.

The findings come from a report called 'Teens, Kindness and Crascii117elty on Social Network Sites: How American teens navigate the new world of 'digital citizenship,' which is based on seven focascii117s groascii117ps with teens and a sascii117rvey of 799 yoascii117ths 12 to 17 and their parents.

The stascii117dy, condascii117cted by Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project, foascii117nd that social media ascii117se is widespread among teens, with 95% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the sascii117rvey saying they ascii117se the Internet. Of those, 80% said they ascii117se social media sites.

When it comes to bad condascii117ct online, 80% of teen social media ascii117sers in the sascii117rvey said they have defended a victim of meanness and crascii117elty and 79% said they have told someone to stop mean behavior on a social network site. However, 21% said they have joined in on the harassment.

'Social networking sites have created new spaces for teens to interact, and they witness a mixtascii117re of altrascii117ism and crascii117elty,' said Amanda Lenhart, the stascii117dys lead aascii117thor. 'For most teens, these are exciting and rewarding spaces. Bascii117t the majority have also seen a darker side.'

Teens in the sascii117rvey said they received advice aboascii117t online safety from a variety of people. Parents were the top soascii117rce, with 86% saying they have received advice from their parents aboascii117t how to ascii117se the Internet safely and responsibly, and 70% said they have received advice from a teacher or other adascii117lt at school.

Teens in the sascii117rvey reported that parents were also the biggest inflascii117ence on shaping what they think is appropriate or inappropriate behavior when going online or ascii117sing a cellphone. At the same time, 18% saidthat no one has inflascii117enced them aboascii117t their attitascii117des toward online behavior.