Michel Walrave
Biographic Data
| ID | 290635 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michel Walrave |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michel |
| FAMILY NAME | Walrave |
| SIGNATURE | WALRAVE M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Antwerp |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5214-0393 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 44 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 91 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 44 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Framing adolescent sexting: How media discourses influence parents’ attitudes and practices towards sexting
In recent years, adolescent sexting has garnered popular media attention that often frames it as a new societal concern for the youth, heightening parents’ worries. While a risk-focused, deviance discourse emphasizes the dangers of sexting, an alternative normalcy discourse suggests that it can be part of adolescents’ sexual development and intimate communication. However, little is known about how different media portrayals of sexting shape pare…
Consumer perceptions of electrocardiography-enabled smartwatches in health management
Smartwatches with electrocardiography (ECG) functionality, capable of detecting cardiac arrhythmias, are promoted as accessible tools for early detection and prevention in cardiovascular healthcare. Despite their popularity, these devices have not been conclusively linked to improved long-term health outcomes – such as reduced stroke risk – in large scale randomized controlled trials. This raises the question whether popularity is driven by healt…
Perceived realism in VR as a multifaceted concept: Insights from interviews and focus groups with experts and non-experts
As virtual reality (VR) evolves as a narrative medium, its capacity to immerse users in realistic environments has attracted scholarly interest. This study investigates how users perceive realism in VR beyond sensory fidelity. Using 27 interviews and four focus groups with experts and non-experts (n = 77), we examine how realism in VR is conceptualized and experienced. Qualitative analysis identified 12 factors contributing to perceived realism, …
Social media as an exit strategy? The role of attitudes of discontent in explaining non-electoral political participation among Belgian young adults
Non-consensual dissemination of sexual images: The victim-offender overlap
Digital technology provides young people with many new opportunities. However, these opportunities concurred with the development of new offences. A well-studied offence is non-consensual dissemination of sexual images (NCDSI), which can be described as the distribution of explicit photos and videos without the awareness and/or permission of the person pictured. According to previous research, adolescents and emerging adults are most often victim…
Receive, forward, repeat: The link between sexting intention, sexting attitudes, and non-consensual sexting behaviours
Grandsharenting: How grandparents in Belgium negotiate the sharing of personal information related to their grandchildren and engage in privacy management strategies on facebook
Sharenting, the practice whereby parents disclose information about their children on social media, is ubiquitous in our digital society. Even though grandparents take on a considerable role in their grandchildren’s lives and use social media, little is known about grandparents’ sharenting behavior (i.e., grandsharenting). This study explores grandparents’ motives for grandsharenting and privacy management strategies using Communication Privacy M…
The Limits of Sharenting: Exploring Parents’ and Adolescents’ Sharenting Boundaries Through the Lens of Communication Privacy Management Theory
Parents sharing information about their children on social network sites (SNSs) (i.e., sharenting) is common today. However, previous work confronting parents’ and adolescents’ views on sharenting and related privacy concerns is limited. Therefore, the present study scrutinizes parents’ motives for sharenting and adolescents’ attitudes toward sharenting and negotiated privacy management strategies. Communication Privacy Management (CPM) was used …
Online and offline social support deterioration: The effect of financial stress exposure on depressive symptoms
Social support is a prominent factor in mental health etiology. According to the social support deterioration model, exposure to chronic stressors may over time erode people's social support, thereby contributing to increases in mental health issues. Although there is mounting evidence indicating the beneficial consequences of online social support, the extent to which social support deterioration takes place in an online context is to date not i…
What we think we know about cybersecurity: An investigation of the relationship between perceived knowledge, internet trust, and protection motivation in a cybercrime context
Individual internet users are commonly considered the weakest links in the cybersecurity chain. One reason for this is that they tend to be overoptimistic regarding their own online safety. To gain a better understanding of the cognitive processes involved in this assessment, the current study applies an extended version of the protection motivation theory. More specifically, this study includes perceived knowledge and internet trust to discover …
Exploring the User Base of Online Neighborhood Networks: Determinants of Online Neighborhood Network Membership and Uses
This paper aims to determine the prevalence of the use of online neighborhood networks (ONNs) and explores which socio-demographic, socioeconomic status (SES), social integration, and media use determinants predict ONN membership and uses. Drawing on a stratified random sample (Ghent, Belgium), we found that over a third of the population are ONN members and that membership was mainly predicted by socio-demographic characteristics. Also, in contr…
Ready or Not for Contact Tracing? Investigating the Adoption Intention of Covid-19 Contact-Tracing Technology Using an Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model
To diminish the risk of spreading COVID-19 as society exits the lockdowns, several apps have been developed for contact tracing. These apps register which users have been in proximity of each other. If a user is diagnosed with COVID-19, app users who have been recently in proximity to this person are notified. The effectiveness of these apps highly depends on public support. Therefore, this study investigated the factors that influence app use in…
Sexting, pressured sexting and image-based sexual abuse among a weighted-sample of heterosexual and LGB-youth
Assassins, Gods, and Androids: How Narratives and Game Mechanics Shape Eudaimonic Game Experiences
Emerging research has suggested that digital games can generate entertainment experiences beyond hedonic enjoyment towards eudaimonic experiences: Being emotionally moved, stimulated to reflect on one’s self or a sense of elevation. Studies in this area have mainly focused on individual game characteristics that elicit singular and static eudaimonic game moments. However, such a focus neglects the interplay of multiple game aspects as well as the…
The Relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and Sexting Behaviors among Adolescents and Young Adults across 11 Countries
The present study provided empirical evidence that different sexting behaviors were predicted by Dark Triad Personality Traits, showing a relevant role of Machiavellianism in all kinds of investigated sexting behaviors. Research, clinical, and education implications for prevention programs are discussed
The Moderating Role of Parenting Dimensions in the Association between Traditional or Cyberbullying Victimization and Mental Health among Adolescents of Different Sexual Orientation
Cyberbullying victimization is associated with mental health problems and reported to occur more in nonheterosexual orientation youth (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ)) than among heterosexual youth. Parental support may protect against mental health problems after being victimized, but nonsupportive parental influences may also exacerbate harm. This study investigated whether parenting dimensions (autonomy support, psychological co…
The role of multi-platform news consumption in explaining civic participation during the Covid-19 pandemic: A communication mediation approach
This study employs the orientation–stimulus–reasoning–orientation–response (O-S-R-O-R) framework to examine how multi-platform news consumption is associated with civic participation during the COVID-19 pandemic (offline and via social media) and how this relation is mediated by civic talk and civic attitudes. A survey was administered to 1500 adults in Belgium. Results from structural equation modelling indicate how civic talk with weak ties is …
Research Note: An Investigation of Cybercrime Victims’ Reporting Behavior
Even though the dark number is especially high for cybercrimes, it is unclear by whom and to whom cybercrime is reported. Therefore, this study will answer the following questions: (1) who reports cybercrime incidents, and (2) to whom do victims report cybercrime? Analyses based on survey data including 334 recent cybercrime victims, indicate that 73.4% of victims do not report the incident. Cybercrime victims who do report are significantly olde…
Designing and validating the Social Media Political Participation Scale: An instrument to measure political participation on social media
The role of Hexaco personality traits in different kinds of sexting: A cross-cultural study in 10 countries
Help, I need somebody: Examining the antecedents of social support seeking among cybercrime victims
A first investigation into gender minority adolescents’ sexting experiences
INTRODUCTION: Gender minority adolescents, such as transgender, gender nonconforming, gender diverse and non-binary youth, may face unique challenges with regard to online sexual communication. They may be especially vulnerable for sexting-related risks. The aim of this study is to explore the sexting experiences of gender minority youth among a school-based sample. METHODS: This brief exploratory study reports on a survey that was conducted amon…
“Just for fun?”: An exploration of digital games’ potential for eudaimonic media experiences among Flemish adolescents
Research shows that media entertainment can induce eudaimonic or meaningful experiences, such as being emotionally moved or being stimulated to reflect about oneself. While these studies have primarily focused on adults’ eudaimonic media entertainment experiences, the current study explores whether games can lead to eudaimonic experiences amongst adolescents, for instance, via characteristics like emotionally deep stories and moral choices. Games…
Adolescents’ Sexy Self-Presentation on Instagram: An Investigation of Their Posting Behavior Using a Prototype Willingness Model Perspective
Some adolescents use social media platforms, such as Instagram, for sexualized self-presentation, which includes posting images in which someone is scarcely dressed, has a sexy gaze or in which sexual willingness is suggested. These behaviors could be a first step towards sexting. Given that adolescents are highly influenced by peer perceptions, this study uses the prototype willingness model to assess how teenagers' perceptions of others could i…
Sexting in adolescents: Prevalence and behaviours
Sexting is among the practices used by young people to explore their sexuality. Although an educational response to all facets of this phenomenon is recommended, little research has been published to date in Spain that analyses its prevalence by differentiating between the different types of sexting behaviours: sending, receiving, third-party forwarding, and receiving via an intermediary. This gap in the research is addressed by exploring: 1) Sex…
Sexting: Adolescents’ perceptions of the applications used for, motives for, and consequences of sexting
This study explores adolescents’ perceptions of applications used for sexting, the motives for engaging in sexting, and the consequences they relate to sexting behavior. We conducted 11 same-sex focus groups among 57 adolescents (66.67% females; n = 38) between 15 and 18 years old in Flanders, Belgium. The analysis revealed that sexting mostly occurs through smartphone applications, such as Snapchat, which are perceived to be a more intimate form…
Sexting scripts in adolescent relationships: Is sexting becoming the norm
This study offers empirical insight into adolescents’ norms around sexting. Informed by sexual scripting theory, we investigated the extent to which young people perceive sexting as being a likely behavior in the context of a romantic relationship (the “sexting script”). A distinction is made between what adolescents find likely among same-aged peers (the general sexting script) versus what they find likely in their personal situation (the person…
The Associations between Substance Use, Sexual Behavior, Deviant Behaviors and Adolescents’ Engagement in Sexting: Does Relationship Context Matter
Designing and validating the Social Media Political Participation Scale: An instrument to measure political participation on social media
Sexting in adolescents: Prevalence and behaviours
Sexting is among the practices used by young people to explore their sexuality. Although an educational response to all facets of this phenomenon is recommended, little research has been published to date in Spain that analyses its prevalence by differentiating between the different types of sexting behaviours: sending, receiving, third-party forwarding, and receiving via an intermediary. This gap in the research is addressed by exploring: 1) Sex…
Social media as an exit strategy? The role of attitudes of discontent in explaining non-electoral political participation among Belgian young adults
Sharenting, is it a good or a bad thing? Understanding how adolescents think and feel about sharenting on social network sites
Older and Wiser? Facebook Use, Privacy Concern, and Privacy Protection in the Life Stages of Emerging, Young, and Middle Adulthood
A large part of research conducted on privacy concern and protection on social networking sites (SNSs) concentrates on children and adolescents. Individuals in these developmental stages are often described as vulnerable Internet users. But how vulnerable are adults in terms of online informational privacy? This study applied a privacy boundary management approach and investigated Facebook use, privacy concern, and the application of privacy sett…
The role of multi-platform news consumption in explaining civic participation during the Covid-19 pandemic: A communication mediation approach
This study employs the orientation–stimulus–reasoning–orientation–response (O-S-R-O-R) framework to examine how multi-platform news consumption is associated with civic participation during the COVID-19 pandemic (offline and via social media) and how this relation is mediated by civic talk and civic attitudes. A survey was administered to 1500 adults in Belgium. Results from structural equation modelling indicate how civic talk with weak ties is …
The Strong, the Weak, and the Unbalanced: The Link Between Tie Strength and Cyberaggression on a Social Network Site
The subject of this research is hurtful behavior on social network sites. Specifically, the study examines how young people’s connections on such sites are related to their risk of being involved in cyberharassment and cyberbullying. For this purpose, eighth-grade students from 11 secondary schools were surveyed ( n = 1,458). The students indicated who their friends were at school and with whom they were connected on Facebook. The results demonst…
The influence of a descriptive norm label on adolescents’ persuasion knowledge and privacy-protective behavior on social networking sites
The literature has advocated the use of a clear and unambiguous label to inform adolescents of advertisements on social media. In this study, we introduce a norm-based label and determine its effects. In a series of three studies, we test a label that triggers the bandwagon heuristic (i.e., “your friends know this is sponsored”) and compare its effectiveness to a traditional label (i.e., “sponsored”) in a social network. The results reveal the no…
Parents' Concerns Over Internet Use, Their Engagement in Interaction Restrictions, and Adolescents' Behavior on Social Networking Sites
Little is known about parents' motivations to engage in Internet mediation nor about how parents may influence each other's Internet mediation practices. The present study uses triadic data, with reports from the mother, the father, and the adolescent child from the same family ( N = 357). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied for testing the relationship between parents' concerns over Internet risks, parents' engagement in mediation prac…
Parental Knowledge of Adolescents’ Online Content and Contact Risks
Cyberbullying: Predicting Victimisation and Perpetration
Connecting and protecting? Comparing predictors of self-disclosure and privacy settings use between adolescents and adults
The present study serves two purposes. First, we explore how adolescents and adults approach the disclosure of personal information and the application of privacy settings on social network sites (SNS). Second, we investigate whether the factors that predict these two privacy-management strategies differ for adolescents and adults. To achieve the goals of this study, an online survey was conducted among a sample of 1484 SNS users ranging in age f…
Predicting adolescents’ willingness to disclose personal information to a commercial website: Testing the applicability of a trust-based model
This study examines the relationship between the level of trust that adolescents place in a specific commercial website and their behavioural intentions to disclose four categories of personal information (identity information, geographical information, profile information and contact information) to the website. Following the integrative model of organisational trust, we hypothesise that respondents’ level of trust in a specific commercial websi…
Adolescents, Online Marketing and Privacy: Predicting Adolescents’ Willingness to Disclose Personal Information for Marketing Purposes
The present study aims at exploring which factors predict the willingness of adolescents to disclose personal information in response to online marketing requests. Our analyses show that especially privacy concerns and perceived benefits explain a considerable portion of variance in both willingness to disclose profile data (e.g. age, hobbies, favourite products) and contact data (e.g. phone number, e‐mail address, home address). An interesting i…
The Strong, the Weak, and the Unbalanced: The Link Between Tie Strength and Cyberaggression on a Social Network Site
The subject of this research is hurtful behavior on social network sites. Specifically, the study examines how young people’s connections on such sites are related to their risk of being involved in cyberharassment and cyberbullying. For this purpose, eighth-grade students from 11 secondary schools were surveyed ( n = 1,458). The students indicated who their friends were at school and with whom they were connected on Facebook. The results demonst…
Cyberbullying-Entrenched or Cyberbully-Free Classrooms? A Class Network and Class Composition Approach
Cyberbullying threatens young people's well-being. This study is one of the first to examine cyberbullying from a social network perspective. The class-based friendship networks of 103 classes were reconstructed using peer-nomination questionnaires. Closeness centralization and the global clustering coefficient were calculated using social network analysis and subsequently entered into a Poisson-regression. The outcomes of these analyses show tha…
Older and Wiser? Facebook Use, Privacy Concern, and Privacy Protection in the Life Stages of Emerging, Young, and Middle Adulthood
A large part of research conducted on privacy concern and protection on social networking sites (SNSs) concentrates on children and adolescents. Individuals in these developmental stages are often described as vulnerable Internet users. But how vulnerable are adults in terms of online informational privacy? This study applied a privacy boundary management approach and investigated Facebook use, privacy concern, and the application of privacy sett…
Sexting: Adolescents’ perceptions of the applications used for, motives for, and consequences of sexting
This study explores adolescents’ perceptions of applications used for sexting, the motives for engaging in sexting, and the consequences they relate to sexting behavior. We conducted 11 same-sex focus groups among 57 adolescents (66.67% females; n = 38) between 15 and 18 years old in Flanders, Belgium. The analysis revealed that sexting mostly occurs through smartphone applications, such as Snapchat, which are perceived to be a more intimate form…
A qualitative study into parental mediation of adolescents' internet use
Parental Knowledge of Adolescents’ Online Content and Contact Risks
A Factorial Survey Study on the Influence of Advertising Place and the Use of Personal Data on User Acceptance of Facebook Ads
Advertisements on social networking sites are typically unrequested messages placed in between the user-generated content. What makes users accept these ads (or not)? A factorial survey was conducted to uncover the impact of different factors related to the use of personal data (e.g., sensitivity of personal data) and advertising place (e.g., ad location) of Facebook ads on user acceptance (i.e., fairness and appropriateness) of the advertisement…
Sexting
“Everything under control?”: Privacy control salience influences both critical processing and perceived persuasiveness of targeted advertising among adolescents
Given that adolescents continuously interact with the user interface of a social networking site, it might be a strategic place to address privacy-related issues. This study investigates whether and how privacy control features embedded in Facebook’s user interface could serve as a cue to influence adolescents in their critical processing and perceived persuasiveness of targeted advertisements. To test this, an experimental study among 178 adoles…
Sexting scripts in adolescent relationships: Is sexting becoming the norm
This study offers empirical insight into adolescents’ norms around sexting. Informed by sexual scripting theory, we investigated the extent to which young people perceive sexting as being a likely behavior in the context of a romantic relationship (the “sexting script”). A distinction is made between what adolescents find likely among same-aged peers (the general sexting script) versus what they find likely in their personal situation (the person…
The Associations between Substance Use, Sexual Behavior, Deviant Behaviors and Adolescents’ Engagement in Sexting: Does Relationship Context Matter
Adolescents’ perceptions of digital media’s potential to elicit jealousy, conflict and monitoring behaviors within romantic relationships
Understanding the role of digital media in adolescents’ romantic relationships is essential to the prevention of digital dating violence. This study focuses on adolescents’ perceptions of the impact of digital media on jealousy, conflict, and control within their romantic relationships. Twelve focus group interviews were conducted, among 55 secondary school students (ngirls = 28; 51% girls) between the ages of 15 and 18 years (Mage = 16.60 years;…
Sharenting, is it a good or a bad thing? Understanding how adolescents think and feel about sharenting on social network sites
The role of Hexaco personality traits in different kinds of sexting: A cross-cultural study in 10 countries
Help, I need somebody: Examining the antecedents of social support seeking among cybercrime victims
A first investigation into gender minority adolescents’ sexting experiences
INTRODUCTION: Gender minority adolescents, such as transgender, gender nonconforming, gender diverse and non-binary youth, may face unique challenges with regard to online sexual communication. They may be especially vulnerable for sexting-related risks. The aim of this study is to explore the sexting experiences of gender minority youth among a school-based sample. METHODS: This brief exploratory study reports on a survey that was conducted amon…
“Just for fun?”: An exploration of digital games’ potential for eudaimonic media experiences among Flemish adolescents
Research shows that media entertainment can induce eudaimonic or meaningful experiences, such as being emotionally moved or being stimulated to reflect about oneself. While these studies have primarily focused on adults’ eudaimonic media entertainment experiences, the current study explores whether games can lead to eudaimonic experiences amongst adolescents, for instance, via characteristics like emotionally deep stories and moral choices. Games…
Adolescents’ Sexy Self-Presentation on Instagram: An Investigation of Their Posting Behavior Using a Prototype Willingness Model Perspective
Some adolescents use social media platforms, such as Instagram, for sexualized self-presentation, which includes posting images in which someone is scarcely dressed, has a sexy gaze or in which sexual willingness is suggested. These behaviors could be a first step towards sexting. Given that adolescents are highly influenced by peer perceptions, this study uses the prototype willingness model to assess how teenagers' perceptions of others could i…
Sexting in adolescents: Prevalence and behaviours
Sexting is among the practices used by young people to explore their sexuality. Although an educational response to all facets of this phenomenon is recommended, little research has been published to date in Spain that analyses its prevalence by differentiating between the different types of sexting behaviours: sending, receiving, third-party forwarding, and receiving via an intermediary. This gap in the research is addressed by exploring: 1) Sex…
The influence of a descriptive norm label on adolescents’ persuasion knowledge and privacy-protective behavior on social networking sites
The literature has advocated the use of a clear and unambiguous label to inform adolescents of advertisements on social media. In this study, we introduce a norm-based label and determine its effects. In a series of three studies, we test a label that triggers the bandwagon heuristic (i.e., “your friends know this is sponsored”) and compare its effectiveness to a traditional label (i.e., “sponsored”) in a social network. The results reveal the no…
Parents' Concerns Over Internet Use, Their Engagement in Interaction Restrictions, and Adolescents' Behavior on Social Networking Sites
Little is known about parents' motivations to engage in Internet mediation nor about how parents may influence each other's Internet mediation practices. The present study uses triadic data, with reports from the mother, the father, and the adolescent child from the same family ( N = 357). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied for testing the relationship between parents' concerns over Internet risks, parents' engagement in mediation prac…
Psychology (39 works) · Social Psychology (34 works) · Computer Science (24 works) · Developmental psychology (20 works) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents (17 works) · Social Media and Politics (17 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Gender, Feminism, and Media (14 works) · Internet privacy (13 works) · Social media (12 works)