Problematic Internet Use and online risk behaviors. An analysis from the gender perspective

Abstract

This dissertation has been carried out in the framework of a research team with a line of work started more than a decade ago and aimed to analyse and understand the use that the adolescents are making of Information and Communication Technologies [ICTs]. The integration of the gender perspective as analytical approach should contribute to a greater understanding of how females and males relate to the ICTs, which results in many cases in a maladaptive use, may it be through a Problematic Internet Use itself or the occurrence of a range of online risky behaviours. To achieve the objectives of this thesis, a sample of 41,137 students was collected in collaboration with UNICEF Spain. The results obtained will favour the development of evidence-based prevention measures taking into account the specific needs of females.