A 2007-2008 research study conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) reported several key findings that indicate children are logging on to the Internet at a very young age. Parental supervision of this computer activity, however, is generally lax. Not surprisingly, the study found that children are communicating with friends, peers, and others online in ways that show a lack of knowledge in what is ethical, safe behavior.
Among children in kindergarten and first grade, 48% of students reported that they interact with other people on Web sites. Only 50% of these young children said that their parents watched them as they used a computer, revealing that the other half were exposed to unchecked Web browsing and interaction with others online. About 48% of these young children saw online content that made them feel uncomfortable, and one in four of them said they did not report the uncomfortable experience to a trusted adult.
Children who were slightly older were even less likely to be watched by their parents while at the computer. Only 32% of second and third graders reported being watched by their parents while online, and 31% of fourth through sixth graders said they were watched "a little" or "sometimes." Almost one-third (27%) of fourth through sixth graders said they were completely unsupervised when online.
Whether supervised or not, children in the fourth through sixth grade age group were frequently connecting to social networking sites where some admitted that they shared the following personal information with others online:
- 16% posted personal interests
- 15% posted information about their physical activities
- 20% gave out their real name
- 5% posted information about their school
- 6% posted their home address
- 6% posted their phone number
- 9% posted a photograph of themselves
Revealing such personal details about themselves makes children easier targets for predators and bullies. Cyberbullying was a common incident reported among children in the study. Among second and third graders, 9% admitted to being "mean to someone online" and 18% reported that someone online had been mean to them within the last school year. Among fourth through sixth graders, 7% reported being a victim to bullying and threats online, and 10% reported being embarrassed.
Cyberbullying incidents increased with the age of the students. Among seventh through ninth graders, 13% said they had been bullied or threatened online, and 15% had been embarrassed. Among tenth through twelfth grader, 15% reported having been harassed or stalked online, and 17% had been embarrassed.
The study revealed that it is more common for children to run into problems with people they know online than with strangers. These troublemakers are more likely to be other students rather than adults.
While parents' fears of online predators are justified, a more prevalent problem that children face online is cyberbullying. Repeated harassment, mockery and intimidation from their peers over email, instant messaging and other online communications tools is likely to be experienced by many youth who log on to the Internet.
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Source: Rochester Institute of Technology
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