Young people and the internet

EU Kids Online has published a briefing on children’s perspectives on problematic situations online and what they do to avoid them. Key concerns include that:

• Young people are very bothered by online bullying, misuse of personal information and privacy and unwelcome contact from strangers;
• Young people regularly express themselves about issues related to sexual content and communication, whether it is perceived as disturbing often depends on the context;
• Young people frequently refer to being bothered or annoyed by unwelcome content, referring to shocking, aggressive, false or misleading content;
• Sometimes young people refer to being irritated by technical problems, including computer viruses; and
• Sometimes young people worry about the risk of excessive usage of the internet and other health-related issues.

To download the briefing visit www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Preventivemeasures.pdf.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has published a research report exploring the views of children and young people with SEN and disabilities on cyberbullying and their activities online. Key points regarding young people with SEND around this issue include:

• Many had experienced cyber-bullying and this was often an extension of the face-to-face bullying they were experiencing;
• Many young people said they were often not believed or experienced a lack of support when they told someone about cyber-bullying;
• Many had not been taught how to use the internet or stay safe online;
• Many were using the internet to create an anonymous persona to mask their disability; and
• Many were actively avoiding the internet. For some this was because they were not given the practical or emotional support to get online while others were afraid of cyber-bullying or enhancing existing social pressures.

To download the report visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/media/7443/disabled-young-peoples-views-on-cyberbullying-report.pdf.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has also published guidance for teachers and other professionals on this topic, which can be downloaded at www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/media/7441/cyberbullying-and-send-module-final.pdf.