Many children in Ireland could be putting their safety at risk by not adequately protecting themselves when using the internet.

This is according to a new report from the ISPCC, which found a quarter of older children failed to use privacy settings on their social networking accounts, while over a third of primary school-age youngsters did not know how to do this.

One in ten of the older group admitted to giving out information such as email addresses, mobile phone numbers or photos, while 13 per cent of younger children had given their full name to someone they had never met.

Chief executive of the ISPCC Ashley Balbirnie stated some of the research's results are "truly terrifying" and warned it is vital steps are taken to reduce the risk of young people being harmed through their online activity.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald added: "The findings on internet safety and the threats and challenges posed by new technologies require a response from all of society: parents, the internet industry and government."

Recently, a study by the Cork Institute of Technology revealed one in ten teenagers have been the victim of cyber-bullying, the Irish Independent reported.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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