Ofcom Study Shows Gap Between Parents and Children on Internet Safety

Despite a growing awareness of Internet technologies,  there is still a disconnect between parents and children regarding issues of Internet privacy and online reputation. In a recently released study from Ofcom (the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries) approximately three in ten 7 to 12-year-old participants indicated that “no one has talked to them about online safety.”

While these numbers decreased as the age of participants rose (approximately one in ten 13 to 16-year-old said no one talked to them about online safety), the data shows quite clearly that there is still more that parents can do to teach their children about being safe online. Some of the other interesting statistics from the study (which can be accessed in PDF format here) are listed below.

• 54% of respondents (age 11-16) said that young people needed more advice on “how to retain privacy/not share information” online
• 20% of respondents (age 11-16) said that young people needed more advice on “how to deal with ‘cyber-bullying’”
• 22% of respondents (age 11-16) said that young people needed more advice on “how to avoid inappropriate content”

Here at ReputationDefender, we are committed to helping parents better understand how their children use the Internet and why it is important to protect themselves online. Too often, parents and children only talk about issues related to online safety after something has gone wrong. A simple mistake online can be a burden on your son or daughter for years, damaging their chances of getting into college, finding a job, and more.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

If you would like to learn more about how to talk to your children about their Internet use, make sure to check out this guide, prepared by ReputationDefender and the iKeepSafe Coalition.

Hat tip to eModeration, where we first saw the Ofcom study.