Risks and safety for children on the internet: the FR report
Keywords
risks
safety
children
internet
France
opportunities
parental mediation
Publication details
| Issued: | 2012 |
| Language: | English |
| Editors: | |
| Authors: | Blaya C.; Séraphin A. |
| Type: | Report and working paper |
| Topics: | Social mediation; Internet usage, practices and engagement; Risks and harms; Online safety and policy regulation; Content-related issues |
| Sample: | For the French survey, a random stratified sample of 1,000 9-16 year olds who use the internet, together with one of their parents/carers, was interviewed |
| Implications For Parents About: | Parental practices / parental mediation |
| Implications For Educators About: | Digital citizenship |
Abstract
This report presents initial findings from a French survey of children and their parents designed to provide a unique insight into the balance of opportunities and risks experienced by children in France on the internet. A random stratified sample of 1000 9-16 year olds who use the internet, and one of their parents/carers, was interviewed during May/June 2010.
The France survey forms part of a larger 25 country survey conducted by EU Kids Online and funded by the EC’s Safer Internet Programme. The questionnaire was designed by the EU Kids Online network, coordinated by the London School of Economics and Political Science. Fieldwork was conducted by Ipsos MORI.
In what follows, French findings are compared with those from other countries, as reported in Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A., and Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: The perspective of European children. Full findings. LSE, London: EU Kids Online
Outcome
-"As a whole, children in France take more risks than the European average (50% vs. 41%) and are more prone to behave badly (7% vs. 4%)" (Blaya & Alava, 2012, p. 69)
-Meeting someone they met online is the most common risk in France
-Risks are increased by age, however ages 13-14 report more negative behaviors than any other age
-Children go online in their bedroom or other private room (41%) but also at a friends house (49%) which makes their activities harder to supervise
-Average time spent online by 9-16 year old children in France is 118 minutes, which is above the European average (88 minutes)
-French children show higher skill in protecting themselves online
-29% have seen sexual images online, 26% have been bullied online, 19% have received sexual messages and 32% have had contact with someone they met online.