Studying Adolescents Online: A Consideration of Ethical Issues

Abstract

Despite the enormous potential of the Internet as a research tool and environment, implementing youth research in online environments raises significant ethical issues. This chapter addresses two quandaries that surfaced in the author’s own research on adolescent home page authors. First, the necessity and feasibility of obtaining parental consent in online youth research is considered. Second, the chapter discusses the ethical responsibilities of Internet researchers who encounter distressing disclosure authored by youth online. The chapter aims to illustrate the contexts in which such ethical issues may arise and to provide suggestions for Internet researchers who focus on adolescent populations.