SOME 16 per cent of young people admitted to having met up with people they had met online, a survey published by the Minister for Children has found.
The survey also found almost half (44 per cent) of those surveyed had used the internet unsupervised in their bedrooms.
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald, commenting on the survey conducted on behalf of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said its findings required “a response from all of society”.
The study was conducted by Viewpoint research, which consulted with 18,116 young people in primary and secondary schools across the State and also with children in harder-to-reach areas such as those being schooled at home.
“It is generally clear that the internet has become an integral part of the everyday lives of young people in Ireland,” said the society. “However, the extent to which young people adhere to safety precautions while online is cause for great concern.”
The survey also found that almost one-quarter (24 per cent) of the older groups did not use privacy settings, while one-third (36 per cent) of the younger group did not know how to keep their social network account private.
Some 17 per cent of the older group and 13 per cent of the primary group had given their full name to someone online whom they had never met, and 10 per cent of the older group said they had given personal details, such as their e-mail address or mobile phone number, or a photo, to someone online they did not know.
Ashley Balbirnie, the society’s chief executive, described some of the findings as “absolutely terrifying. “To hear that so many young people, despite the threats lurking online, are spending hours in their bedrooms, unsupervised, giving out personal information and in some cases organising to meet up with strangers is absolutely horrific.
“The figures clearly show that young people are not taking necessary and available safety precautions while online and are leaving themselves open to some extremely dangerous situations.”
While there was no “single answer” to making the internet safer for young people, the society said there were steps that could be taken, including the introduction of a “panic button” on Facebook and other social networking sites, where young people could alert the operators of untoward contacts. They also called for legislation to address child abuse online and increased parental vigilance.
