Online and social media resilience in young people in vulnerable contexts

ABSTRACT

This Australian study explored the resilience to online abusive activity and enticements to violence amongst a cohort of young people in vulnerable contexts. The vulnerable contexts were defined as those where family disruption, domestic violence and subsequent geographical dislocation were present in the young person’s environment. The young people, aged 12 to 19 years, were interviewed to elicit the prevalence of abusive or violent online and social media behaviours and were invited to discuss the resilience strategies they used to deal with such behaviours. Whilst resilience to online abusive activity has been studied in some depth, the prevalence of such activity and its effect upon young people in domestic violence or other abusive contexts has not. This study which examined the first-hand responses of a small number of young people in domestic violence contexts, found that the resilience strategies were dependent upon the maturity of the individual, the perceived support mechanisms available to the young person, the peer group attitude and the emotional attachment to the peer group. The results broadly match resilience strategies evident in the existing literature but add new knowledge about the significance of the maturation process and its effect upon resilience strategies for vulnerable youth. The study provides new insights into the development of resilience in online or social media contexts for young people in vulnerable contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth
• adolescence
• online
• resilience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Victorian Government Social Cohesion Research Grants Program.

Notes on contributors

Patricia McLaughlin

Patricia McLaughlin is a scholar in the area of lifelong learning and pathways and an Associate Professor in the school of education at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. She is an active researcher and has led a number of national research grants in the scholarship of learning and teaching and related areas.

Belinda Kennedy

Belinda Kennedy is an academic in the School of Education and the College of Science, Engineering and Health at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Belinda has broad experience in STEM disciplines, in particular, science and has initiated a number of STEM learning approaches for on-campus and off-campus programs for students at all year levels.

Anne Harris

Anne Harris is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, RMIT University Senior Research Fellow, and Director of Creative Agency research lab: www.creativeresearchhub.com. Harris is editor of the book series Creativity, Education and the Arts (Palgrave), has authored over 100 articles/book chapters, 17 books, plays, films and spoken word performances.

Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton is Professor of Computer Science and Information Technology in the School of Science at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. She is known internationally for her work in mobility, user experience and computer science education. Margaret’s research interests include software engineering in mobility, modelling, testing, ethnographic action research; computer science education including new technologies, problem-solving, employability and academic integrity. Having published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in CS & IT education journals and conferences, she has supervised 15 PhD completions and has over 30 years’ experience in teaching computing technology in tertiary institutions.

Joan Richardson

Joan Richardson, is a Professor and Deputy Dean, Learning and Teaching in the School of Accounting Information Systems and Supply Chain (AISSC), in the College of Business and Law at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. In this role she oversees maintenance of program accreditations, Learning and Teaching quality and strategic projects. She completed a PhD entitled ‘An episode of change in a contemporary higher education setting’ and has published widely on IT education issues.

Stacy Holman-Jones

Stacy Holman-Jones is Professor and Director of the Centre for Theatre and Performance at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses broadly on performance as socially, culturally, and politically resistive and transformative activity. She specializes in critical qualitative methods, particularly critical autoethnography and critical and feminist theory. She is the author of more than 80 articles, book chapters, reviews, and editorials and the author/editor of 13 books and is the founding editor of Departures in Critical Qualitative Research.