- Sonia Livingstone, Lucyna Kirwill, Christine Ponte, Elisabeth Staksrud
- European Journal of Communication, 2014
This paper reports the findings from an open-ended survey question on online risks that concern nine- to 16-year-olds in Europe. The study was part of the EU Kids Online survey of more than 25,000 European children.
Children reported a range of risks that concern them on the internet, including pornography, cyberbullying and violent content. The authors argue that children's concerns about, and possible solutions to, online risks need to be taken into consideration in policy and research.
Research on online risks
There have been a number of studies (Livingstone et al, 2012; O'Neill et al, 2013; and Unicef, 2012) that examine the prevalence and risks of children's online activity. These have informed the public policy agenda and the development of tools for the empowerment and protection of children online.
The EU Kids Online survey carried out by Livingstone et al found that in the nine- to 16-year-old age group:
30 per cent had had contact online with someone they had not previously met face to face, and that nine per cent had gone to a face-to-face meeting with someone they first met online
14 per cent had seen sexual images on websites in the past year
Six per cert had been sent nasty or hurtful messages on the internet.
Among the 11- to 16-year-olds:
21 per cent had come across at least one type of potentially harmful user-generated content
15 per cent had seen or received sexual messages on the internet.
Of these risks, children were most upset about online bullying, while "sexting", pornography and meeting new online contacts in person were perceived as less upsetting.
Study methods
The EU Kids Online survey used a random stratified sample of 25,142 internet-using European children aged nine to 16. The survey included one open-ended question: "What things on the internet would bother people of your age?" The question was asked before any other questions about risk, which meant that children gave their unprompted views.
More than one in three children (38 per cent - 9,636) identified one or more online risks that they thought bothered children of their age. These children's verbatim responses were coded by two independent researchers.
Types of online risks identified
Children identified the following online risks:
Content risk (55 per cent): pornography (20 per cent); violent content (17 per cent); and other content such as inappropriate images and scary, racist or hateful content (17 per cent)
Conduct risk - for example, aggressive content, bullying or misuse of personal information - usually from other children (19 per cent)
Contact risk - for example, stranger contact or inappropriate sexual contact - usually from adults (14 per cent)
Other risks - for example, viruses, spam and phishing; or spending too much time online (11 per cent).
Older children identified more risks than younger children. Younger children were more concerned about content risks than older children, particularly violent content. Older children were more concerned about interpersonal risks (conduct and contact). Boys were more concerned about violent content than girls, while girls were more concerned than boys about contact and conduct risks.
Particular online platforms were noted in relation to specific online risks. For example, video-sharing websites (such as YouTube) were mentioned by 32 per cent of children when describing online risks. The risks associated with video-sharing websites were mostly violent (30 per cent), pornographic (27 per cent) and other content risks (30 per cent). Boys reported more concerns about video-sharing sites than girls, while girls were more concerned than boys about social networking sites such as Facebook.
Implications for practice
In recent years, there has been a move away from shared media use in the family towards personalised and private media use. This can impede parental/carer management of children's access to media through rules and supervision.
Although a range of guidelines and tools have been produced to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content and contact, this is often led by a "media panic agenda" rather than being grounded in research with children (Staksrud, 2013).
This paper supports previous research by Livingstone that has found different patterns of internet use between boys and girls, and also at different developmental stages. It has also highlighted the diversity of online risks, and importantly, children's concerns about violent imagery, which has generally been overlooked in public policy and research.
The authors argue that future research and guidance on online risks should listen to the voices and concerns of children, and seek their views on potential solutions.
ONLINE RISKS
30% of 9- to 16-year-olds had contact online with a stranger
15% of 11- to 16-year-olds had received sexual messages online
14% of 9- to 16-year-olds had seen sexual images online recently
30% of 9- to 16-year-olds had been sent hurtful messages
Source: Livingstone S, Haddon L and Görzig A (eds) (2012) Children, Risk and Safety Online: Research and Policy Challenges in Comparative Perspective. Bristol: The Policy Press.
FURTHER READING
Related resources:
Social Media and Children's Mental Health: A Review of the Evidence, Education Policy Institute, June 2017
Children and Young People Who Engage in Technology Assisted Harmful Sexual Behaviours, NSPCC, May 2017
In-Game Abuse: The Extent and Nature of Online Bullying Within Digital Gaming Environments, Ditch the Label, May 2017
Resilience for the Digital World: Research into Children And Young People's Social and Emotional Wellbeing Online, YoungMinds, January 2016
Cyberbullying: An Analysis of Data From the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey for England, 2014, Public Health England, 2014
The Experiences of 11- to 16-year-olds on Social Networking Sites, NSPCC, 2014
"Basically… Porn is Everywhere". A Rapid Evidence Assessment on the Effects That Access and Exposure to Pornography Has on Children and Young People, Children's Commissioner for England, May 2013
Related resources by Research in Practice
Child Sexual Exploitation: Practice Tool (2017) (open access), Feb 2017
Young Person-Centred Approaches in CSE - Promoting Participation And Building Self-Efficacy, Feb 2017
Violence in Young People's Relationships: Frontline Chart, April 2016
Violence in Young People's Relationships: Frontline Briefing, April 2016
Children and Young People With Harmful Sexual Behaviours - A Research Review, June 2014
Children and Young People Missing from Care and Vulnerable to Sexual Exploitation (Self-reflection tools), June 2013
The research section for this special report is based on a selection of academic studies which have been explored and summarised by Research in Practice, part of the Dartington Hall Trust.
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