Parents, however, are worryingly ignorant about their children’s online behaviour and experiences. While more than half of teens reported that pictures of them had been posted online to embarrass them, only a fifth of parents believed this had happened to their child.
The research report, entitled Beyond the School Gates, revealed that nearly one in five teenagers said they had been threatened online – yet only seven per cent of parents believed this was something that affected their child.
Two-thirds of young people claimed they could do anything online without anyone checking on them – but only 42 per cent of parents said this was the case.
The research, produced by the University of Buckingham and Sir John Cass’s Foundation, was based on interviews with 320 young people aged 13 to 18 and 130 parents.
It found that teenagers do not trust adults to act appropriately when they experience cyber-bullying. Nearly half said they had told friends but 16 per cent did not tell anybody at all. A fifth said they had no idea what to do when faced with a dangerous situation online.
The report, written by University of Buckingham psychologist Dr Masa Popovac, reveals that cyber-bullying and face-to-face bullying are linked. A third of teens had experienced bullying online and offline and more than a quarter said they sometimes did not want to go to school because of problems online. Many reported feeling worthless, depressed and isolated.
Dr Popovac said that a multi-level approach is needed to tackle cyber-bullying. Suggested strategies include educating parents, training teachers, enhancing school policies and reporting mechanisms, and building anti-bullying and online safety messages into the curriculum. She also called on the government to address key laws and policies.
“We need to take action to address online safety by equipping children and adolescents with digital skills and building resilience so that they can learn to navigate the online environment and the risks they may encounter,” she said. “We also need to include parents in online safety efforts and work with schools to ensure a coordinated approach.”
Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham, added: “It is the very remoteness of cyber-bullying that can bring out the very worst in human nature. We now have the evidence about the seriousness of this issue. As the report says, we need to act with a real sense of urgency.”
- Download Beyond the School Gates at http://bit.ly/2zQC8oM