CHILDREN WHO USE the internet have spoken about their experiences online, with some saying they have received hate messages, seen porn, or violent images.

Their thoughts are compiled in a new study from EU Kids Online, which found that compared with 2010, European 11 – 16-year-olds are now more likely to be exposed to hate messages, cyberbullying, pro-anorexia sites and self-harm sites.

“A stranger said that he liked me and that I was pretty. This was creepy and I felt uncomfortable and weird about this”- Girl, 11, Belgium

Some videos I see on the internet make me scared. Filthy images don’t frighten me! But they make me feel bad. Because I don’t like them. And frightening things stay in my mind.” Boy, 10, Spain

It also said that 17% of 9- to 16-year-olds are likely to say they were upset by something seen online in 2014, compared to 13% in 2010.

They carried out in-depth interviews with 9- to 16-year-olds in nine countries.

They found that children are using the internet more, at younger ages and in more diverse ways.

But they also found that the more children use the internet, the more digital skills they gain, and the higher they climb the ‘ladder of online opportunities’ to gain the benefits.

Concerns

It found that children’s concerns included:

• Pornography
• Violent, aggressive, cruel, or gory content – particularly real violence
• Boys express more concern about violence than girls
• Children’s concern about online risks rises markedly from 9 to 12 years old

A boy aged 11 in Ireland said: “I saw something at a friend’s house and I can’t get it out of my head.” A girl aged nine in the UK said: “Facebook shows scary things even if you click on something that does not look or sound scary.”

The report also says that the most common risk for children is making contact online with someone that the child does not know face to face.

• The next most common risk is seeing sexual images and receiving sexual messages.
• Being cyber bullied is reported by a small minority of 11- to 16-year-olds.
• Half of these youngsters reported being fairly or very upset by receiving nasty or hurtful messages online.

But the report also says that ‘stranger danger’ warnings are “proving effective”, as children are less likely to make contact online with someone that they don’t know face to face – 32% compared to 29%.

The report says that: “Overall, the incidence of harm online is less than panicky media reports would suggest. Nor is the increase as great as one might expect given the rise of frequent personalised internet use. Possibly the many safety and awareness-raising initiatives are proving effective.”

To read the full report, click here.

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