The Effectiveness of Modesty Education on the Reduction of Internet Addiction and High-Risk Behaviors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of modesty education on the reduction of Internet addiction and high-risk behaviors among the high school adolescent girls; thus, a quasi-experimental design with test and control groups was applied. 20 girls having high-risk behaviors were selected from a girl high school in Tehran, Zone 5, by the purposive sampling. A modesty education-intervention protocol was performed during eight sessions. The participants responded to the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Iranian Adolescents Risk-taking Scale (IARS), and demographic information, before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed by the analysis of co-variance. The results showed that the modesty education first, has a significant effect on the reduction of Internet addiction; second, does not have a significant effect on the reduction of high-risk behaviors; and third, helps users have more self-control in the face of virtual sex or pornography. It is necessary to say that due to the various causes of high-risk behaviors, one can not expect immediate and short-term change and the modesty education should be regarded as a predictive approach

Keywords

• modesty
• internet addiction
• high-risk behaviors
• adolescent
• pornography
• virtual sex