Awareness of eSafety and Potential Online Dangers among Children and Teenagers

Abstract

Aim/PurposeAwareness of eSafety and potential online dangers for children and teenagers. BackgroundThe study examined eSafety among children and teenagers from their own perspectives, through evaluations of their awareness level of eSafety and of potential online dangers. Methodology This is a mixed-method study with both quantitative and qualitative elements. The study includes questionnaires and interviews. A total of 345 participants from Israel completed questionnaires; 90 children and teenagers were interviewed from among the participants. ContributionThe study examined the awareness of children and youths of safe online surfing. It also examined the degree of exposure of children and youths to positive and negative aspects of the Internet. This study illustrates the dual potential of Internet use within the context of eSafety, as seen through the eyes of children and teenagers. Characteristics of use of the Internet are liable to increase the danger to and the bullying of youths and by youths in the digital domain. It also demonstrates the promises of using the Internet for productive learning and leisure activities. FindingsFindings show that the children and teenagers who participated in the study reported a medium-high level of awareness. Issues that participants were concerned about included avoiding contact with strangers and cyberbullying, not necessarily by strangers, but also by friends. Recommendations for PractitionersIt is important to examine how children perceive online events for the purpose of examining their statements regarding eSafety and the way they view problematic or dangerous online events, as well as how they believe they can cope with them. Recommendation for ResearchersThe study recommends incorporating in future studies individual case studies and allowing participants to express how they perceive complex online situations. Awareness of eSafety and Potential Online Dangers amongst Children and Teenagers 320Impact on Society This study illustrates the dual potential, positive and negative aspects, of Internet use within the context of eSafety, as seen through the eyes of children and teenagers. Future ResearchFuture studies should track changing eSafety awareness and behavior longitudinally to identify the impact of maturation and experience on their behavior and attitudes.

Privacy Attitudes and Behaviours of Autistic and Non-Autistic Teenagers on Social Networking Sites

“…on SNS than males [30,33,61,118]. On the other hand, male social media users tend to consume more violent content and engage in more aggressive behaviours online than females [61,133].…”

“…In general, teenagers are mainly wary of social privacy threats (i.e., "violations by other users of the site" [135]) online. Most teenagers are concerned about exposing their personal content to unintended audiences, especially authority figures (e.g., parents, employers) and "creepy" strangers who they imagine to be lurking online [47,133].…”

“…Gender is another key predictor of teenagers' privacy-related thoughts and behaviours on SNS [23,76,100,133]. Several studies suggest that female teenagers typically have higher privacy concerns and engage in more privacy-protective behaviours (e.g., using privacy settings) than males [23,67,133]. These gender differences may be partly due to the higher prevalence of sexual solicitation of females on SNS compared to males [18].…”