A recent poll involving 2,053 children from the UK found that 50.4% of them experienced problems online, such as bullying, being threatened, and even sexual harassment.
Many, including the NSPCC who conducted the study, worry that the high use of social networking sites could be seriously contributing to these numbers. 52% of the children polled between the ages of 11 and 16 used social networking sites like MySpace.com and Bebo at least once every day.
The poll states that most children use the websites to connect with friends and meet new people – it suggests that 60% of children use these website to combat loneliness, while 53% use them to simply share their feelings.
The director and chief of NSPCC said that, "Children face real threats on the internet such as sexual grooming, cyber-bulling, exposure to violent, pornographic, and other unsuitable materials."
NSPCC advises all children to never give away any personal details to those they've met online, including their real names, pictures, and especially phone numbers. |
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