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Half of UK children have witnessed cyber bullying on social networks
New Intel Security study reveals more needs to be done to protect children from risks online ahead of the summer holidays
- Just over one in ten UK children (11%) has been a victim of cyber bullying on social media and nearly half (49%) rank it as their top concern
- Nearly half of children (49%) have witnessed cruel behaviour on social networks, yet a third (33%) did nothing to report it
- One in five (20%) parents think their child has spoken to a stranger online, while one in ten children aged 8-16 years old said they would meet with someone they met online
- The majority of children (75%) learn information about online safety from their parents yet 64% of parents believe their child is more social media savvy than they are
- Over a third of parents (38%) have not made an attempt to find out what their child is doing online
- 47% of children aged 8-16 years old typically spends 10 or more hours on the internet each week
- 85% of parents think it is important that their kids are taught how to stay safe online in the next 2-5 years
A new Intel Security study “The Realities of Cyber Parenting: What Pre-teens and Teens are up to Online”, which examines the online behaviours and social networking habits of children and parents in the UK, reveals disconnect between what parents think is happening online and what is going on in reality. Cyber bullying was, in particular, an issue for concern as nearly half of children (49%) surveyed ranked this as their top worry, with one in ten claiming to be a victim of cruel behaviour online. In comparison, just 12% of adults were worried about cyber bullying. With the summer holidays fast approaching, and with children likely to spend more time on the internet, best practices for online behaviour need to be addressed in every family home.
Shining a light on cyber bullying
Cyber bullying is a huge concern for children. In fact, nearly half of children (49%) ranked being bullied online as the worst thing that could happen to them when on the internet. Despite these concerns, harassment online continues to happen as nearly half of children (49%) surveyed claimed to have witnessed cruel behaviour on social networks, yet a third (33%) did not do anything to report the abuse they had seen.
Cyber bullying has featured prominently in the news this year, with various celebrities reporting harassment on social networks. In light of such claims, Twitter, Facebook and Reddit have all taken action to tackle abuse online by launching anti-harassment policies which address threats of violence against others. Given that nearly half of parents (48%) do not discuss the risks of social networking with their kids namely because nearly two thirds of them (64%) believe their child is more social media savvy than they are, these changes to policy are encouraging to see.
“Evidently, cyber bullying continues to be a persistent problem that children face online. Whilst it is reassuring to see social networking sites change their policies in order to curb cyber bullying, parents should not just rely on this,” says Nick Viney, VP consumer, mobile and small business at Intel Security. “By having greater awareness of the latest online trends and by having ongoing conversations with their children about how to stay safe online, parents can build a stronger trust with their child. They, in turn, will feel more confident in reporting any harassment they experience on social networks.”
Stranger danger
It’s just not just the cyber bullying aspect of social media that parents need to be more clued up on. One-fifth of parents surveyed said they believe their child has chatted to strangers online and even more worryingly, one in ten children said they would meet up with, or have already met, someone they met online.
Approximately half of children (47%) surveyed spend 10 or more hours on the internet each week and with the summer holidays just around the corner, this number will undoubtedly increase. Seventy-five per cent of children turn to their parents to learn about online safety and with the dangers clearly growing, it is imperative that parents talk openly about the risks and advise their children on the best practices to surf the web safely.
More than words
Whilst it is great to see that efforts are being taken to protect children from risks online, more needs to be done. In fact, 85% of parents said they believe it’s important their kids receive online safety or cyber security training in the next 2-5 years to keep their personal information and themselves protected. This needs to be an education for both children and adults, especially as nearly a third of parents (29%) said they do not look out for information about online safety.
As result of this better understanding to protect oneself against the risks online, parents can feel empowered to have ongoing conversations with their kids about how to stay safe. Consequently, the issue is addressed before it becomes a problem – children, and parents, can stay one step ahead of the cyber bullies and other potential dangers online.
Five top tips to stay safe online
Here are our five top tips for parents to help facilitate online safety for their children this summer holiday:
1. Connect with your kids. Talk frequently with them about the online risks, and make sure the communication lines are open. You can discuss relevant news stories or cases at schools.
2. Set password rules. To show camaraderie and trust, teens may share their social media passwords but this is a dangerous practice. Put a consequence in place for breaking this critical password rule.
3. Read app reviews. By reading app flags, age restrictions and customer reviews on an app, you will be able to discern if an app is going to be suitable for your child.
4. Gain access. Parents should have passwords for their children’s social media accounts and passcodes to their children’s devices to have full access.
5. Be in the know. Stay one step ahead and take the time to research the various devices your kids use. Stay knowledgeable about the newest and latest social networks.