Project leader: Elisabeth Staksrud (PhD project)
SUMMARY OF THE DISSERTATION:
Children and the Internet: Risk, Regulation, Rights
What is online risk? How can we best protect children from it? Who should be responsible for this protection? Is all protection good? Can Internet users trust the industry? Can researchers trust children? Can children trust researchers? These and other fundamental questions are discussed in Staksrud‘s thesis.
The work is built on the understanding that how risks are defined and perceived in a democratic society will have an impact on the political and democratic processes in that society. It aims to provide insights into how we currently regulate online risk for children (including teens), whether this regulation is legitimate, and whether we are sacrificing some of our fundamental human rights in the process. Using representative studies with Norwegian children about their actual online risk experiences as well as an extensive review of regulatory rationales in the European Union, Staksrud makes an empirical, theoretical and normative argument, demonstrating that the institutions in the western welfare states of Europe that are meant to protect children have changed fundamentally. As their tasks have been outsourced, so has the security and comfort they afforded the citizens of the welfare state. At the same time, new actors, such as the industry and NGOs, are not subjected to the same democratic modes of transparency and scrutiny. Consequently, on the one hand children of today may have more rights in terms of personal decision making as digital consumers — on the other they may have lost some of their democratic rights to participation and to be protected as digital citizens. This highlights the fact that the issue of children, media and protection challenges the core democratic values of the right to information, free speech, organization and participation, not only for children, but for all of us.
Publications
Staksrud, E. (2013). Children in the Online World: Risk, Regulation, Rights. Aldershot: Ashgate
Staksrud, E. (forthcoming, 2013). Online Grooming Legislation - Knee-jerk regulation? European Journal of Communication.
Enli, G. & Staksrud, E. (forthcoming, 2012). PSB Serving Children: Past, Present and Future. In U. Carlsson (Ed.), A Nordic Public Service Media Map. Gøteborg: Nordicom.
O'Neill, B. & Staksrud, E. (forthcoming, 2013). Policy Implications and recommendations: Now what? In S. Livingstone, L. Haddon & A. Görzig (Eds.), Children, risk and safety online: Research and policy challenges in comparative perspective (pp. 339-354). Bristol: Policy Press
Staksrud, E., Ólafsson, K., & Livingstone, S. (2012). Does the use of social networking sites increase children's risk of harm? Computers in Human Behavior. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.026
Livingstone, S., Ólafsson, K., & Staksrud, E. (accepted). The social networking skills and practices of ‘under-age’ users: Lessons for evidence-based policy. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
Staksrud, E. (forthcoming, 2012). Metodiske og etiske utfordringer ved å forske med barn på Internett. I H. Fossheim (Ed.), Forskning med barn: De nasjonale forskningsetiske komiteer.
Staksrud, E., & Kirksæther, J. (forthcoming, 2012). 'He who buries the little girl wins!' - Moral panics as double jeopardy. The Case of Rule of Rose. In C. Critcher, J. Hughes, J. Petley & A. Rohloff (Eds.), Moral Panics in the Contemporary World. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
O'Neill, B., Staksrud, E., & McLaughlin, S. (Eds.) (forthcoming, 2012). Promoting a safer internet for children: European policy debates and challenges. Göteborg: Nordicom.
O'Neill, B., Staksrud, E., & McLaughlin, S. (forthcoming, 2012). Introduction. In B. O'Neill, E. Staksrud & S. McLaughlin (Eds.), Promoting a safer internet for children: European policy debates and challenges. Göteborg: Nordicom.
Staksrud, E. (forthcoming, 2012). Content classification & Filtering. In B. O'Neill, E. Staksrud & S. McLaughlin (Eds.), Promoting a safer internet for children: European policy debates and challenges. Göteborg: Nordicom.
Staksrud, E., & Ólafsson, K. (forthcoming, 2012). Awareness: Strategies, mobilisation and effectiveness. In B. O'Neill, E. Staksrud & S. McLaughlin (Eds.), Promoting a safer internet for children: European policy debates and challenges. Göteborg: Nordicom.
O'Neill, B., Staksrud, E., & McLaughlin, S. (forthcoming, 2012). Conclusion. In B. O'Neill, E. Staksrud & S. McLaughlin (Eds.), Promoting a safer internet for children: European policy debates and challenges. Göteborg: Nordicom.
Staksrud, E., Ólafsson, K., & Kirksæther, J. (forthcoming, 2012). Risiko og trygghet for barn på Internett: Norske funn. Nasjonale funn fra EU Kids Online studien med 9-16 åringer og deres foreldre European Research on Cultural, Contextual and Risk Issues in Children’s Safe Use of the Internet and New Media (2006-2009). LSE, London: EU Kids Online.
Staksrud, E. (2012). "Mamma - hvorfor er TV så kjedelig?" Internett i barnehagen: om muligheter, risiko, moralsk panikk og digital lek. I H. Jæger & J. K. Torgersen (Eds.), Mediekonsument og medieprodusent. Digital kultur i barnehagen. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
Staksrud, E. (2012). Children and the Internet: Risk, Regulation, Rights. Dissertation for the degree of PhD, Dept. of Media and Communication, University of Oslo
Staksrud, E. (2011). Norske barn på Internett: Høy risiko - lite skade? Nordicom Information, 33(4): 59-70.
Schultz Larsen, O., Deschington, H., Frank, K., Herheim, Å., & Staksrud, E. (2011). Psykologi 2 (Bokmål ed.). Oslo: Aschehoug.
Schultz Larsen, O., Deschington, H., Frank, K., Herheim, Å., & Staksrud, E. (2011). Psykologi 2 (Nynorsk ed.). Oslo: Aschehoug.
Staksrud, E. (2010). Hva slags ungdom vil vi ha. In E. Torp & G. Brækken (Eds), Grenser som skaper. Oslo: IKO-Forlaget AS.
Livingstone, S., Ólafsson, K., & Staksrud, E. (2011). Social Networking, Age and Privacy Eu Kids Online. London: LSE.
Staksrud, E., & Livingstone, S. (2011). A-B-Cyberspace. Can children ever be safe on social networking sites? Public Service Review, European Union (22).
Brandtzæg, P. B., E. Staksrud, I. Hagen & T. Wold (2009). Norwegian Children's Experiences of Cyberbullying When Using Different Technological Platforms. Journal of Children and Media, 3(4): 349-365.
Staksrud, E. (2009) Problematic conduct: juvenile delinquency on the internet. In S. Livingstone & L. Haddon (Eds.), Kids online. London: The Policy Press.
Staksrud, E. and S. Livingstone (2009). Children and online risk: Powerless victims or resourceful participants? Information, Communication & Society, 12(3): 364-387.
– republished in Italian, as Staksrud, E., & Livingstone, S. (2009). I bambini davanti ai rischi della Rete. Vittime inermi o partecipanti competenti? Comunicazioni Sociali, 3(3): 274-298.
Staksrud, E., S. Livingstone, L. Haddon, & K. Ólafsson (2009). What Do We Know About Children's Use of Online Technologies? A Report on Data Availability and Research Gaps in Europe (2nd edition). LSE, London: EU Kids Online (EC Safer Internet plus Programme Deliverable D1.1). http://www.eukidsonline.net/
Staksrud, E. (2009). Hva slags barn vil vi ha? In H. Grande Røys (Ed.), Delte Meninger (pp. 178-191). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
Staksrud, E. (2008) Children, Internet, pornography and policy, International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 4(3): 387-402.
Staksrud, E. (2008) Fairytale parenting: Contextual factors influencing children's online self-representation. In K. Lundby (Ed.) Digital Storytelling, Mediatized Stories: Self-representations in New Media. New York: Peter Lang.
Selected research presentations
Staksrud. (2012). Bullying and threats via Internet and social media: The perspective of European children. Paper presented at the Ms Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children. 20 June.
Staksrud. (2011). Bullying on the Internet: The perspective of European children. Paper presented at the Tackling violence in schools. High-Level Expert meeting co-organised by the government of Norway, the Council of Europe and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Oslo. 27 June.
Staksrud, E. & Lobe, B. (2011). 'Boys hate - girls loose weight'? - Children and harmful user generated services on the Internet. Paper presented at the EU Kids Online II Final conference, London, 22-23 September.
Staksrud, E. (2011). EU Safer Social Networking Principles: What are they, do they work, and do we need them? Keynote presented at the Norwegian National Moderators Conference, Kripos, Oslo, 9 September.
Staksrud, E. (2011). Bullying on the Internet: The perspective of European children. Paper presented at the Tackling violence in schools. High-Level Expert meeting co-organised by the government of Norway, the Council of Europe and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Oslo, 27 June.
Staksrud, E. (2011). Top five risks in Norwegian children's childhood. Paper presented at the Barne- Ungdoms- og Familiedirektoratet [Children- Youth and Family Directorate], Oslo. 15 June.
Staksrud, E. (2011). Presentation of EUkids II topline findings. Paper presented at the Meeting for staff and students, Dept. of Media and Communication, University of Oslo.
Staksrud, E. (2011). New dangers? Risk and crime online. Guest lecture, Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo.
Staksrud, E. (2011). Presentation of EUkids II topline findings for Norway. Paper presented at the Stakeholder meeting, Norwegian Media Authority, Fredrikstad, 10 March.
Staksrud, E. (2011). Presentation of EUkids II topline findings. Paper presented at the Meeting for staff Ministry of Education, Norway, 2 March.
Staksrud, E., & Livingstone, S. (2011). Online Risks Encountered on the Top 10 Social Networking Sites of Europe. Paper presented at the ICA, Boston, 27 May.
Staksrud, E. (2011). Help - the children are online. Advise for those who grew up with TV.... Kråkstad, 4 May.
Staksrud, E., & Lobe, B. (2010). Protecting children online - Does self-regulation of social networking services work? Paper presented at the ECREA conference, Hamburg, 14 October.
Staksrud, E., & Kirksæther, J. (2010). Knee-jerk Regulation – the case of Rule of Rose. Paper presented at the Moral Panics in the Contemporary World Brunel University, London.
Staksrud, E. (2010). EU Kids Online results on Social Networking Sites. Paper presented at the Safer Internet Forum Luxembourg.
Staksrud, E (2010) Barn som nett(mis)brukere. Presentation at PUBLIC SEMINAR with presentation of research results from the Mediatized Stories project. Forskningsparken, Oslo, 14 April 2010.
Staksrud, E. & Livingstone, S. (2008). Children and online risk: Powerless victims or resourceful participants? Paper presented at the AoIR, October 2008, Copenhagen.
Staksrud, E. (2008). Social networking, risk and safety - a road paved with paradoxes. Paper presented at the Safer Internet Forum Luxembourg. 25 September.
Staksrud, E. (2008). Children as online (ab)users. Paper presented at the LSE Media Communication and Humanity Conference, London 21-23 September.
In addition, Staksrud is very active in newspapers, radio and TV commenting upon her research.
Recent feature articles:
- Staksrud, E., & Livingstone, S. (2011). A-B-Cyberspace. Can children ever be safe on social networking sites? Public Service Review, European Union (22), 610-611
- Staksrud, E. (13.01.2011). Barn og Internett: Mye risiko, lite skade, Kronikk, Aftenposten.
- Staksrud, E. (31.10.2006). Uten en tråd. Dagens Næringsliv.
Quantitative Platform
- Elisabeth Staksrud relates to the SAFT (Safety, Awareness, Facts and Tools, European Commission Best Practice Awareness) project, surveys with 11.000 children aged 9-16 and their parents in five European countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Ireland). Staksrud was the international coordinator for the project and its surveys, as well as of the similar pan-European Eurobarometer survey.
- Elisabeth Staksrud is involved in EU Kids Online projects.