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A NEW SURVEY of almost 4,000 children has found that 43% of those aged between eight and 13-years-old are talking to people they have never met in real life on social media and gaming platforms.
CyberSafe Ireland surveyed 3,867 children and found that 92% of them owned their own smart device and were active online.
It found that 43% of those surveyed were speaking to strangers online, with a third of them speaking to strangers every day or at least once a week.
Although 99% of children surveyed were under the age of 13, which is the minimum age required to sign up to social media sites, many reported being active on the platforms.
Snapchat was the most popular with 33% of children surveyed having an account, WhatsApp was the second most popular app at 28%.
Some 23% reported having an Instagram account and another 21% reported having a TikTok account.
CyberSafe Ireland’s chief executive Alex Cooney said: “The online service providers benefit so much from their users, without having to take the full degree of responsibility that they should.”
“So much more needs to be done and given the number of kids who are active online, time is of the essence,” she added.
More than 1 in 10 of children aged eight to 13-years old who took part in this survey said they spent more than 4 hours a day online – this included 12% of 8-year-olds and 15% of 12-year-olds.
Gaming was another issue raised by the charity as 29% said they played over-18 games, rising to 47% for boys and falling to 12% for girls. More than a third of 8-year-olds said they played over-18 games.
Teachers
The effect of online-activity among children is having a direct impact on school life as more than half of teachers – 59% – saying they are dealing with online safety incidences in the classroom.
Some 10% of those said they dealt with more than five incidences in the last year.
Of the teachers who spoke to the charity for the survey, 52% said they did not feel equipped to teach online safety messages in the classroom.
Philip Arnell, head of education and innovation at CyberSafe Ireland said it is important that parents are equipping children with necessary skills to stay safe online.
“As a teacher with 20 years’ experience I know how kids this age like to spend their time but it’s astonishing to think that 12% of the children surveyed spend 4 or more hours per day online: that amount of daily screen time equates to a total of 61 days each year,” he said.
“While technology undoubtedly brings social and educational benefits, it is vital that screen time is monitored and that it is balanced appropriately with all the other aspects that contribute to a healthy lifestyle.”
Children in schools in disadvantaged areas were 29% more likely to talk to strangers every day and 42% more likely to be online for more than four hours a day.
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Keep strong, you are a survivor and always will be. You should be very proud of yourself.
Inspirational. What happened to you was diabolical but it doesn’t define you. I wish you joy happiness and success in everything you do.
Well done you will be a great help to other survivor s..wish u a happy life
What amazing strength you show. You are a survivor and always will be. You should be very proud of yourself.
Well done to you I myself am a victim of sexual abuse over a 3 year period by a neighbour. It really did a lot of damage but when I went to the guards they arrested him and believed him over me because he worked for the army and was an officer.
Fast forward it to 2012 i get him supenaed to court 2 days before he commits suicide. He’s family say he dies of a heart attack.
I know the undertaker he tells me the truth.
He did what he had to do and so did I well done to you I admire you strength. I have a wonderful life but we all have our crosses to bare.
Well don’t and congratulations.
Whether or not your believe yourself to be brave, Im sure every person who read this can only think you’re braver than most people in this world. You went from the horror you experienced to being an inspiration for those who might find themselves in that situation and you should be incredibly proud. Good luck with whatever you want to achieve, its hard to imagine you wont reach your goal whatever that might be!
I am happy that you don’t flinch at touch. I am glad you don’t try to wash away the dirt. I hope you don’t try to.numb your pain in food or alcohol or drugs. The fact is there are many survivors out there struggling each in their own way. I don’t think it was your intention, but I felt your comments on flinching and showering smacked of tuppence ha’penny looking down on tuppence. Every survivor has a stoney path to walk and each path is difficult. Keep growing, but have compassion for those who do shower ferociously or flinch at touch.
@Ian Phillip Creaner: as you said it wasn’t her intention, and I don’t think she is looking down at anyone or judging anyone. She’s a survivor, she’s brave beyond words even though she doesn’t know it, not just to endure and survive but to speak out and help others. Every survivor has their way of surviving and dealing with the past, of burying it or setting it free, of flinching or trying to wash it away or shut it out. Just different ways of dealing with the pain. No judgement, just different.
Aicha, you are a brilliant young woman who has a special talent for writing. When I was reading this I thought it was by a much more experienced writer, and I was amazed to find you’re at university age!
Well done to you for writing this powerful article, I wish you every success and happiness in life. Traumatic betrayals and abuse aren’t “gotten over”, they’re worked through, and it seems like you’re well on your journey.
I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying yourself with your girlfriend and going to gigs, you’re going to have such a good time in university!! All the best! Xx
@Veronica: I thought the exact same thing, super, super writing from someone so young. All the best with the leaving cert and university Aicha, I hope to read more of your work some day!
I myself have a book coming out soon. It’s called groomed by a predator.. watch out for it. Also best of luck in your leaving cert
Your natural inner strength is the best vengeance you could have. You’re a total inspiration.
He was no father, he was just a hateful object, laws need stepped up, the courts do little, they just listen to harrowing stories, that all end up the same, wrecking families, and lives, a child enduring that ongoing abuse without anyone there to question or intervine as to where the pedo was taking the child, was disgusting, grown men should just leave children alone, pedo’s know themselves they should be locked away, pedo’s know the courts are just a laughing stock, there to be mocked, in a sense the courts are not taking control, so they are as much to blame, as they have pedo’s walking away like protected species, and the pedo’s know that too, robbers and tough men get massive sentences compared to them, so it’s not as if the courts don’t know how to pass sentances, they do it very well, why should survivors of abuse have to be so brave, they should all be safe in the knowledge that crimes against children will be dealt with to help them heal from the everyday trauma they will go through.
@Louisa Anna Harley: I agree with you when that person was arrested the dpp sent me a letter to say that there coukd be no charges against him. Why because he worked as an army officer and they look afyer each other not them all I may add but it ruined me for years I turned to drink and drugs and eventually went to rehab in 2001.
I have been clean now 19 years tip wood. So i had to pass this persons house everyday until the onky thing i coukd do was to go after his estate and get him into court that way and he cut his wrists and took his own life 2 days before court.
People said to me did I feel guilty because he committed suicide because I got his supeaned for court.
If he was an innocent man why would he do what he donr and no I didn’t feel guilty he chose his path and I had to get on with my life.
I went to the local papers and told my story anonymously. When I went to my local tape crisis center after I told my story they hung my article in the hall, and I was told by councillor that thay were over run with calls saying that it gave people the courage to come forward.
That’s what gave me strength. But in my book I have named his name.
His family got a well known drug dealer to approach me to ask me to forget about it offered me 30,000 € I told him burn it all proceeds of my book will go to the rape crisis center.
I wish you the very best. In life your a brave soul.
Do not ever think that you ever did wrong you didn’t.
Congratulations more people like us both shoukd come together and speak out as one voice.
Wow, thank you for sharing your story and for your courage and openness. You are an exceptional person to have gone through something like that and come out the other side. You deserve nothing but happiness.
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