More than half (52%) of parents believing that the threats of cyberbullying and inappropriate content facing their children online are increasing. However, a little more than a third (39%) guide their children by talking to them about the potential threats, reveals new research from Kaspersky Lab and B2B International.
The survey found that every fifth adult (20%) does nothing to protect their kids from Internet threats, despite the fact that a similar proportion (22%) have seen their children encounter actual threats online, including viewing inappropriate content, stumbling across dangerous strangers and cyberbullying. More than half (53%) also fear that the Internet is affecting their kids’ health or wellbeing in some way.
With a third of parents (31%) feeling they have no control over what their children see or do online, nearly two thirds (61%) of them don’t bother to talk to their kids about Internet threats. Where action is taken, it is focused on things that can be largely ineffective: e.g., 28% say they check their kids’ browsing history, although by that stage much of the damage could already have been done. Only a quarter (24%) have installed parental control software.
David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab says, “for many young people today, using mobile phones and computers to go online, often out of sight of their parents or while out and about, has become an integral part of daily life. Our study suggests that a significant number of parents feel powerless about managing what happens on these devices. However, there are many simple yet positive things parents can do to protect the young people in their care. The important thing is to combine practical measures, such as installing parental control software and keeping computers in family areas, with talking to our children about potential threats and how to deal with them”.
Kaspersky Total Security – Multi Device and Kaspersky Safe Kids can help to make parents’ lives easier by safeguarding their children against threats and managing their’ activities on Windows, Mac OS X, iOS and Android devices. The Kaspersky Lab software not only protects kids from viewing inappropriate content on websites and apps, but prevents the disclosure of confidential information and helps parents manage the amount of time children spend on their internet enabled devices.
Read the full report here.
More information on online threats to children and advice on how to protect them can be found on Kaspersky Lab’s educational portal kids.kaspersky.com.
