2007 Internet Safety Statistics for Children

2007 Internet Safety Statistics for Children

The PEW Internet & American Life Project conducted a survey from March to June 2005. The findings released in a April 2007 report revealed the following:

• More children were being exposed to unwanted sexual content and cyber bullying, yet there was a decrease in the number of sexual solicitations.
• A total of 34 percent of those children surveyed reported they saw sexual material online as compared to 25 percent five years prior.
• There was an increase of sexual material being presented to children despite the use of Internet filtering, blocking and other monitoring software being used by their parents at home.
• Online harassment increased 3 percent from the survey conducted in 2000.
• Four percent of children received aggressive solicitation from adults who attempted to meet the children in person, compared to 3 percent in 2000.
• Four percent of the children surveyed reported that online solicitors requested nude photos of them
• Acquaintances were major players in unwanted online solicitations, which included harassment; 14 percent were from off-line friends as compared to 3 percent reported in 2000.

Online Harassment

One of the biggest changes in the report was the increase in harassment online from off line acquaintances. Harassment could take several forms, from sending threatening or sexually explicit emails to the dissemination of erroneous information on websites such as MySpace. This supports the idea that cyber bullying is playing a larger role in the youth culture.

Online Solicitations

One of the more interesting statistics taken from the 2007 Internet safety statistics for children report was the very slight increase (1 percent) in the number of online solicitations leading to meetings in person with children. One would expect due to media reports that online predators were making more headway than cyber bullies were in online harassment.

Sexual Content Online

The report noted that there was a 9 percent increase in the amount of sexual content that children were being exposed to. The online porn industry has been growing at a steady rate, and it is expected that exposure to porn on cell phones will grow significantly over the next five years. Even though parents can install Internet filtering and other monitoring software, they can’t stop all of the unwanted sexual content from getting through to their computer. The basic reason for this is that the Internet is constantly evolving; sites that were blocked previously simply obtain a new domain name and continue doing business.

What Can We do to Protect Our Children

Parents can do a few simple things to protect their children online:

• Install filtering software that is constantly updated, such as those provided by your ISP
• Place the family computer in a place that is open and easily visible to the parents
• Keep computers out of your child’s bedroom
• Surf the Internet with your young children
• Don’t allow young children to have their own email address
• Allow teens to have their own em-ail account, but monitor it with parental control software
• Discuss Internet safety with your children, starting when they are very young so they learn how to identify predators and cyberbullies
• Report illegal content to authorities

Education and Discussion is the Key

Schools are stepping up to the plate and including Internet education as part of their technology programs, starting with children as young as Kindergarten age. Teachers can educate the very young with free Internet safety materials, videos and websites that have been specially designed to teach about Internet dangers.

Talking with your children about online predators and bullies is very important, and your first line of defense. The more you know about the Internet, the easier it will be to defend your children against unwanted attention or sexual materials. Knowing what your children are doing online is the best way to protect your family. While some children, especially teens, can find the attention unwarranted, many are being bullied and could use their parents as allies. If parents leave the door open to communication about these issues, children will be more likely to be open with any problems they may experience.