Conceptual Structure and Questionnaire Development for Online Risk Behaviors Among Chinese Adolescents

The limited availability of psychometrically evaluated instruments relevant to the Chinese context has constrained research on online risk behaviors among Chinese adolescents. This study aimed to conceptualize and develop a measure of these behaviors using an integrative mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with 45 scholars, teachers, parents, and adolescents explored the conceptual structure and manifestations of adolescent online risk behaviors and informed an initial item pool. In the quantitative phase, two surveys were conducted among Chinese secondary school students: an initial sample of 414 students (44.0% male) and an independent validation sample of 662 students (59.1% male). The findings indicated that adolescent online risk behaviors encompass both adolescents’ own online behaviors and risk-related exposures or experiences that may jeopardize adolescent development, others’ rights, or public safety. Four dimensions were identified: content risk, problematic Internet use, security risk, and interpersonal risk. Quantitative analyses yielded a 21-item questionnaire comprising four factors: Online Content Risk, Problematic Internet Use, Online Security Risk, and Cyberbullying Involvement. The four-factor structure was supported, and the questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. This instrument provides initial empirical support for assessing several dimensions of online risk behaviors among the adolescents included in this study.