“The internet is not private”: The role of social media in sexual health among youth in foster care

Journal of Adolescence, June 2020

Olivia N. Kachingwe, John P. Salerno, Bradley O. Boekeloo, Jessica N. Fish, MelanieGeddings-Hayes, Faduma Aden, and Elizabeth M. Aparicio

Suggested Citation
Kachingwe, O. N., Salerno, J. P., Boekeloo, B. O., Fish, J. N., Geddings-Hayes, M., Aden, F., & Aparicio, E. M. (2020). ” The internet is not private”: The role of social media in sexual health among youth in foster care. Journal of Adolescence, 82, 50-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.06.005

Conclusions
Foster youth use social media to establish and maintain intimate relationships. Trust plays an integral role in how foster youth interact with others online. Social media use can result in intimate partner violence and breached privacy. Foster youth take concrete steps to protect themselves while online. Parents and staff need further training on how best to support foster youth online.