The Relationship between Online Sexual Solicitation and Internet Addiction in Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between online sexual solicitation (OSS) and internet accessibility, usage, and addiction in adolescents. The study was conducted with 48 adolescents who had been exposed to OSS and 48 ageand sex-matched adolescents who had not been exposed to OSS. Internet addiction (IA) was determined by the Young Internet Addiction Scale. The groups were compared in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, internet access facilities, internet use characteristics, psychiatric disorders, and IA. The results showed that the duration of daily internet use, the purpose of internet use, and the rate of IA were significantly higher in the OSS-exposed group than in the control group. Depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder were more common in the OSS group than in the control group. Results revealed that the association between OSS and IA is independent of psychiatric disorders. In conclusion, the evaluation of adolescents exposed to OSS, in terms of IA and the measures and interventions to be taken in this regard, will contribute to the prevention of new exposures. Additionally, considering that OSS may be among the possible negative consequences of IA, evaluating adolescents with IA in terms of OSS will provide significant benefits.

The mean age of adolescents exposed to OSS was 15.0 ± 1.2 (n = 48, min-max= 12–16), with the mean age in the control group of 14.8 ± 1.3 (n = 48, minmax = 12–16). In both groups, 25% (n = 12) of the participants were boys and 75% (n = 36) were girls. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the frequency of anxiety disorder (X2 = 2.987, p = .137) and ADHD (X2 = 0.000, p = 1.000). The rate of secondary psychiatric disorders was higher in the OSS group (n = 20, 41.7%) than in the control group (n = 11, 22.9%) but was not statistically significant (X2 = 3.859, p = .080). In the OSS group, the duration of daily internet use was significantly higher than in the control group (X2 = 7.814, p = .020).