The amount of time children spend online during summer holidays increases their risk of exposure to bullying.
For thousands of children the school summer holidays are stretching ahead, weeks of no teachers, no homework and time to enjoy activities with friends and family. For many children this is the lucky reality, but for others what could be a break from term-time bullies is actually just a continuation.
A new survey released by parentdish.co.uk, The Online Behavioural Habits of Young People Today, has found almost a quarter (23%) of 12 to 16 year olds will spend more than five hours a day online during the summer break. This is more than double the number who go online for that amount of time during term-time.
The survey, which questioned 1,000 children aged between eight and 16 and 1,500 parents is in partnership with BeatBullying, the international anti-bullying charity.
One in five of 12 to 16 year olds have interacted with a stranger online and more than a third go online most often in their own bedroom. Sadly, one in five children in this age group think being bullied online is part of life.
More than a quarter admitted to seeing bullying online, but only half of those who witnessed bullying did something about it. Of those who did act, most went to their parents for advice.
How to manage your child’s Internet use
Interestingly, while a fifth of 12 to 16 year olds think online abuse is a part of life, the majority (80%) feel safe online. This compares to only 60 percent of the younger age group (8-11 year olds) who feel safe online.
When questioned about who controls Internet use and what they do online, nearly half (48%) of young people said their parents, specifically their mum, were responsible.
Tamsin Kelly, editor of Parentdish.co.uk, said, “Our research clearly shows that we, the parents, need to keep a constant dialogue going with our teenagers about what they’re doing and who they’re talking to and reaffirm the ground rules for using social media.
“Teenagers are online more often during the summer holidays – to a worrying degree in some cases, but the positive news is that parents are still the safe place to go to when our teens are worried about cyber bullying.
She recommends that parents set clear ground rules when it comes to Internet use. Using parental controls and limiting time spent online are other great ways to manage your children’s web use, but communication between parents and children is one of the most effective ways of monitoring and managing what your kids are doing online.