Thousands of under-13s are putting themselves at risk by using social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo, a new report reveals.

Despite age restrictions, more than half of all 11 to 12-year-olds have accessed the web pages, while a quarter of nine to ten-year-olds have also used such sites, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) study found.

Many pre-teens lie about their age in order to get onto social networking sites, with 50 per cent of 11 to 12-year-olds admitting to having an online profile.

Of greater concern may be the fact 20 per cent of nine to ten-year-olds have profiles, yet many do not know how to use the privacy settings properly.

DIT researcher Dr Brian O'Neill explained how these youngsters are able to slip through the net, as it is not possible for social networks to identify which users are under-13.

One way parents can monitor their children's activity on sites such as Facebook is to set up an offspring's account using their email address so communications can be supervised.

Check out our Safety on Facebook page for tips on keeping your children safe on Facebook!

Written by Donal Walsh

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