TalkTalk survey reveals childrens' inappropriate web use

Many children are getting away with inappropriate behaviour online because their parents lack the understanding and awareness of their internet habits; that’s according to a recent study by internet service provider TalkTalk.

Research by the provider found, after surveying 500 children aged between six and 15, one in four children had been sent inappropriate material via email, whilst one in nine (11 per cent) had either bullied someone online or had been bullied themselves.

The research also found one in 20 (5 per cent) had communicated with a stranger on a webcam, whilst one in 50 (2 per cent) had met up with a stranger they first contacted online.

Many of the children questioned were confident their parents had no idea what they were getting up to online. More than six out of ten (62 per cent) admitted they had lied about what they had been looking on the web, whilst over half (53 per cent) said they had deleted the history on their web browser so their parents couldn’t check up on them.

Urging parents to be more vigilant when their children are online Tristia Clarke from TalkTalk commented: “We all know there are threats in the virtual world just as there are in the real world, but it’s crucial that parents’ responses to these risks are measured and sensible.” Clarke added: “Our research underlines the need for greater communication between parents and children – it’s the best way for parents to get a sense of the likely risks to their children and therefore manage and minimise them where possible.”

To help improve parents’ understanding and awareness of how to look after their kids online, TalkTalk has set up the Brighter Sparks campaign ( www.talktalk.co.uk/brightersparks). Through here, customers are offered a free product called Magic Desktop. This allows parents to introduce young children to a computer in a child-friendly environment and is available for download here.