The story explained that a report had found that children want internet chat rooms closed down to protect them from potential abusers.
Well, up to a point. The report, Safe from harm, compiled by Dr Roger Morgan, children's rights director for England, did indeed cover children's attitudes to chatrooms. It said: "Most (children) were very aware, and wary, of the dangers that could come from entering chatrooms, and would be happy for them to be closed."
But this was a single paragraph in a 40-page report. Many other things were identified as of far greater concern to children in the 25 consultation groups. They worried a lot about bullying, risks of illness and of accidents of various sorts. One younger group gave their complete list of worrying risks as "cars, roads, terrorists, kidnappers, people giving you drugs, getting left behind, bullying, food poisoning, drowning, other accidents and falls, and getting lost".
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