The consequences for the majority of young victims of online harassment includes serious problems with health and socialization.
Woburn, MA – July 26, 2016 – According to a study conducted by Kaspersky Lab and iconKids & Youth, cyberbullying is a very dangerous threat to children. The research, titled Growing Up Online – Connected Kids, shows that the consequences for the majority of young victims of online harassment includes serious problems with health and socialization.
Cyberbullying is intentional intimidation, persecution or abuse that children and teenagers may encounter on the internet. Bullying on the Internet seriously affects the emotional well-being of children: parents of 37 percent of the victims reported lower self-esteem in their children, 30 percent saw a deterioration in their performance at school, and 28 percent cited depression. In addition, 25 percent of parents stated that cyberbullying had disrupted their child’s sleep patterns and caused nightmares (21 percent). Another 26 percent of parents noticed that their child had started avoiding contact with other children, and 20 percent discovered their child had anorexia.
Just as worrying are the statistics showing that 20 percent of children witnessed others being bullied online, and in 7 percent of cases even participated in it. The survey shows that children often hide incidents of cyberbullying from their parents, making the task of protecting them even more complicated, though, fortunately, not impossible. The parents of 72 percent of the children surveyed said that their child’s experience with cyberbullying had been terrible.
It can be hard to determine what is true or false online, with 63 percent of young people in the survey said they are not sure what to believe when using the internet. In addition, 51 percent have trouble knowing what is appropriate online. Of the young people surveyed, 21 percent of them are afraid they will be confronted with things they do not want to see.
Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab, comments: “In an effort to protect our children from danger, we can’t forget that they not only live in the real world but also in the virtual world, which is just as real to them. On the Internet, children socialize, learn new things, have fun and, unfortunately, encounter unpleasant situations. Cyberbullying is one of the most dangerous things that can confront a child on the Internet, because it can have a negative impact on their psyche and cause problems for the rest of their lives. The best solution in this case is to talk to your child and to use parental control software that can alert you to any suspicious changes to their social network page.”
For more advice on protecting children on the Internet, visit kids.kaspersky.com. Information about a technical solution to these problems can be found at Kaspersky Safe Kids.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.
Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
About iconKids & Youth
iconKids & Youth is one of Europe’s leading child & youth research agencies. Founded in 1996, its team of experienced researchers conducts about 150 studies each year and keeps up a constant and intensive dialogue with young people under 30 and related reference groups like parents. Digital media and their effects on children and adolescents have always been a high priority in the work of iconKids & Youth. Learn more at http://www.iconkids.com.
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Media Contact:
Susan Rivera
781.503.5211
susan.rivera@kaspersky.com
