| Abstract: | ABSTRACT This article utilizes data from a clinical sample of 512 youth to examine whether various problematic Internet experiences are distinctly different from or extensions of the conventional adolescent mental and behavioral health problems seen by clinicians. A Two-step Cluster Analysis identified four mutually exclusive groups of youth, those with: (a) online victimization; (b) inappropriate sexual behavior online; (c) online isolation; and (d) online and offline problems. Results suggest support for the idea that problematic Internet experiences are often extensions of experiences and behaviors that clinicians were working with prior to the advent of the Internet. However, the Internet may be introducing something qualitatively or quantitatively new, such as an increased severity, an increased frequency, or some unique dynamic that requires new responses or interventions. |
