The purpose of this study was to identify factors of teen users' problematic online behaviors using data from the Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) collected over a four-year period. Problematic online behaviors included unauthorized ID use, disguising one's age or gender while chatting online, and cursing/insulting someone in a chat room or on a bulletin board. Results from the panel data analyses showed that many adolescents explored and discontinued engaging in online delinquency as they got older. Respondents' offline behaviors and self-control were significantly associated with problematic online behaviors, supporting the importance of internal traits. Peer effects were consistently more important than parental effects on teen's online delinquency. Increases in time spent using a computer also contributed to the likelihood of problematic online behaviors.
Keywords: Adolescents; Digital socialization; Online delinquency; Problematic online behavior.
Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.