Kids online — parent views

Kids online — parent views and information needs

90% of parents say their child benefits from being online. These parents see the benefits as being:

• School work 73% 
• Finding information 63% 
• Entertainment 50% 
• Technology proficiency 47% 
• Feeling closer to friends & family 30% 
• Problem-solving skills 20% 
• Creativity 18% 

60% of parents say their child is exposed to risks from being online. They see the risks as:

• Accessing inappropriate content 60% 
• Contact with strangers 50% 
• Excessive use 42% 
• Reduced fitness 36% 
• Sharing personal information 35% 
• Being bullied online 29% 
• Feeling isolated 22% 
• Negative self-image 20% 
• Viruses, scams and fraud 6% 

55% of parents can see both the benefits and risks of their child being online

66% of parents are confident in their ability to protect their child online

38% of parents need information about online safety. The information they want:

• Dealing with negative online incidents 71% 
• Online stranger danger 50% 
• Images going viral 37% 
• Online fraud 34% 
• Other parents’ experiences 28% 

29% of parents need information about appropriate internet usage for children. They want information about:

• Managing what their child does online 52% 
• Managing time online 49% 
• Guidelines for online time 49% 
• Age appropriate apps or websites 48%

27% of parents sought or received information about children's online safety in the 12 months to June 2016. These are the sources used:

• School 63% 
• Family/friends and other parents 36% 
• Online search engines 36% 
• Government organisations 25% 
• My child 19% 
• News media 19% 
• Social media companies 16% 
• Non-government organisations 15% 
• Other organisations including libraries, religious groups, police 17% 

Source: Survey commissioned by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, June 2016. Data covers actions taken by 2,360 parents in Australia with children aged 8 to 17 years in 12 months to June 2016