Most children's internet use takes place away from the watchful eye of a parent and is still prone to cruel and abusive behaviours, with problems in the South West above the national average, according to a new study.
The research also suggests that some parents may be unintentionally exposing their children to inappropriate behaviour and cyber-bullying through lack of controls and by setting up children's access to social networks.
It shows that in the South West 17 per cent of children have experienced mean or cruel behaviour online, one per cent above the national average; 11 per cent of adults in the South West know that their children have been bullied online, and 24 per cent of children in the South West have witnessed the cyber-bullying of a classmate or friend – two per cent above the national average.
The study, published to mark the launch of national Anti-Bullying Week, found that cyber-bullying behaviours are commonplace. It was commissioned by McAfee and the Anti-Bullying Alliance, part of leading children's charity the National Children's Bureau.
Despite children's increasing use of the internet and the ease and range of mobile devices they use to access it, 32 per cent of parents admit to not having had any conversation with their children about online safety.
Only 17 per cent of children believe there are parental controls on the home computer, and only 19 per cent of parents have set parental controls across all internet-accessible devices at home including mobile devices.
Forty five per cent of parents with children under the age of 13 have set up a Facebook account for their child, despite the age restriction – leading researchers to suggest parents may be unintentionally enabling their children's online behaviours.
The findings revealed that some parents actually disagree with current social media site age restrictions; with 11 per cent claiming that current age restrictions are too limiting and that younger children should be able to join social networks.
Where restrictions are in place, more than one in eight children has lied about their age to get around them.
Findings showed that children and teens are spending 26 per cent of their time – between four to six hours or more – online every day with much of that internet use taking place away from parents.
Fifty three per cent of children go online in their own room, 46 per cent on a games console and 66 per cent on a smartphone. In addition, nearly one in five (19 per cent) of teens admit to lying to their parents about what they have been doing online.
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