Young people and the internet

The NSPCC has published research on the experiences of over a thousand 11 to 16 year olds using social networking sites and the strategies they use to deal with things that upset them online.

Key findings from the research include that:

• 28 percent of 11 to 16 year olds with a profile on a social networking site have experienced something upsetting on it in the last year;
• Of those, 11 percent were dealing with upsetting experiences on a daily basis;
• The most reported issue experienced on social networking sites was trolling, experienced by 37 percent who had been upset;
• Other issues experienced by those who had been upset included pressure to look or act a certain way (14 percent), cyber stalking (12 percent), aggressive and violent language (18 percent), encouragement to hurt themselves (three percent), receiving unwanted sexual messages (12 percent), and requests to send or respond to a sexual message (eight percent);
• 58 percent of 11 to 16 year olds believed at least one of the people responsible for the behaviour which had upset or bothered them was either a complete stranger, someone they only knew online, or they did not know who it was at all; and
• Only 22 percent of those who were upset talked with someone else face to face about the experience.

To download the full report visit www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/onlinesafety/11-16-social-networking-sites_wda101495.html.