Four in five children in South Africa have access to a mobile phone, and almost half of them use mobile phones to access the internet. However, the opportunities presented by this access are often overshadowed by the possibility for harm and online violence, as well as offline danger that results from online engagement.
According to a study released today by Connected Dot Com entitled Young People’s Navigation of Online Risks, undertaken by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP) with support from Unicef, one in five children have experienced some form of cyber-bullying or other violence or harm online. One in ten young people have also met someone offline they first met online, which presents very real possibilities for physical harm.
The study was conducted as part of a broader study on school violence in South Africa in 2012. Out of the 121 schools that participated in the school violence study, 93 took part in Connected Dot Com’s study. Two focus groups were held at most of the schools and in the end, a total of 1 680 pupils participated in the study. The selection of schools was random, and as a result, schools across all socio-economic strata have been represented.
“The study is the first of its kind in South Africa,” Patrick Burton, executive director of the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP) said. He said it explored how children dealt with the dangers they encountered online, and the strategies that they developed to mitigate these risks, rather than just focusing on the dangers themselves.
As mobile internet penetration increases, attention is being focused on the vulnerability of children to abuse and exploitation in the online sphere. Children are often unaware of who they can turn to for help. Their parents and teachers, however, are unfamiliar with the technologies at children’s disposal and often find themselves in no position to offer advice, guidance or help.
“We hope that this study will be another step towards a better understanding of how we can better equip and protect our children against the risks and dangers that exist online,” Aida Girma from Unicef said.
She said that the findings showed there were a number of risks online, but also that our children were more resilient than we thought. “With the right information at their disposal, they are able to make informed and mature decisions regarding their safety and responsibility as digital citizens.”
