Digital "Disappointments?" or Misplaced Fear?

After reading this Henry Jenkins/Danah Boyd discussion, I became interested in aspects of this debate that I had not previously found so fascinating. The following section, in my opinion, contained valuable information:
The media often reference a Crimes Against Children report that states one in five children receive a sexual solicitation online. A careful reading of this report shows that 76% of the unwanted solicitations came from fellow children. This includes unwanted date requests and sexual taunts from fellow teens. Of the adult solicitations, 96% are from people 18-25; wanted and unwanted solicitations are both included. In other words, if an 18 year old asks out a 17 year old and both consent, this would still be seen as a sexual solicitation. Only 10% of the solicitations included a request for a physical encounter; most sexual solicitations are for cybersex. While the report shows that a large percentage of youth are faced with uncomfortable or offensive experiences online, there is no discussion of how many are faced with uncomfortable or offensive experiences at school, in the local shopping mall or through other mediated channels like telephone.
The way the media spins statistics and other information is very disheartening. It promotes stereotypes that remind me often of how rape victims are portrayed. While most people assume that the internet is a dangerous place for children because molesters might be lurking online waiting to brainwash/kidnap/hurt these kids, the reality is that most women and children are more likely to be sexually assaulted by their own fathers/boyfriends/dates/friends/brothers/etc. than by strangers. Likewise, many are under the impression that women are more likely to be raped if they wear flashy/revealing clothing, or flirt/party hard/walk down a dark alley at night, etc. when research has shown that the opposite is true: women are more likely to be raped if they are not paying attention to their surroundings and wear many layers of clothing and appear to be the shy/quiet types. To sum it up using a phrase from the aforementioned link, "Youth are at far greater risk of abuse in their homes and in the homes of their friends than they ever are in digital or physical publics"...
And honestly, where are these kids supposed to go if not online? Their options are so limited, especially depending on what types of parents they are fortunate/unfortunate enough to have. In my experience, it was difficult to have choices or freedom of any kind, because my dad was a huge fan of the "go to your room!" or "you're grounded!" school of thought. If I screwed up or made any mistake, justified or not, I would have to be grounded for a long period of time. And even if I had not made him unhappy, he was a pretty strict guy and did not like the thought of me seeing friends too often on weekends or having after-school hobbies or even dancing. Dancing gave me the greatest natural high, but when I did poorly in my math class sophomore year, he never let me dance again. Looking back on my youth, sometimes I genuinely- honestly- question how I made it out alive. I believe that compared to other teens, I had it pretty good overall, but nonetheless, I basically lived in a prison/institution/restricted environment/whatever you want to call it. No matter what label it was given, it was unhealthy to be monitored 24/7 and controlled all the time by others. I had such limited access to computers "back in the day" that my eventual outlet was journaling. That was one thing my parents or teachers or whatever could not take away: my pen and paper and (sometimes) my privacy. For those kids who are not so big on the reading/writing, there are even fewer options. Personally, I would rather see more teen-friendly spaces to hang out in real life, because I do believe that too much time spent online can create addictions, and unhealthy sedentary lifestyles, etc. Teens are not in danger (or hurting anybody else) by being plugged in, but I think when the virtual world becomes almost the only world in which they live, they are missing out on a lot in life. And this is an axiom for not just teens to follow- Everyone should have spaces where they feel safe and content to be themselves, because to be denied access to those places, or only finding them online, is so unhealthy.