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Irish Wedding News

24/01/2017

1.5 Million Children 'Exposed To Online Risks'

New research has found that over one million children in the UK, aged between 10 and 15, could be exposed to online risks in the home due to a lack of parental controls.

The study, commissioned by Aviva as part of its latest Aviva Home report, found that 34% of parents with children aged 10 – 15 allow them to use the internet without any parental controls. More than 1,000 parents took part in the survey, as well over 900 children. Of the parents, just 8% said they supervised their children when they were online.

One of the main concerns is social media, however 60% of parents said their children used social media – around 2.8 million users in the 10 – 15 age group. When the children were interviewed, of those who used social media, more than a quarter (27%) said they had been upset because of comments made online. A further 27% said they had felt excluded because they were not invited to events or gatherings that they had seen online.

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In addition, almost one in eight said they had experienced cyber-bullying, while 10% had been 'trolled'. 3% of youngsters said they had been 'groomed' online.

Even with these concerns, six out of 10 parents (60%) said they would allow their children access to social media – even if they were younger than the minimum age allowed for the site.

70% of parents cited cyber bullying as their biggest concern, while 65% said they worried about their children using the internet in general. Interestingly, when children were asked, less than a third said they were concerned by the various risks.

Commenting on the findings, Lindsey Rix, MD, Personal Lines Aviva UK General Insurance, said: "Technology is now very much a part of our lives from a very early age. The ways in which we communicate, work and entertain ourselves are all changing as a result.

"While most of the families we spoke to in our study said that technology had had a positive impact on their households, there are also some downsides and concerns, as this particular piece of research shows.

"There are a wealth of ways in which parents can help their children to stay safe online, from putting parental controls in place on their devices or simply supervising them and teaching them about the risks associated with the internet. Technology offers a world of opportunities, but it pays to play safe."

(JP/LM)

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"New research has found that over one million children in the UK, aged between 10 and 15, could be exposed to online risks in the home due to a lack of parental controls."