2.1 The online risks
đŻ Which are the risks that children face online? Is there an easy way to categorise them, in order to understand the risks and tackle them more effectively?
Experts have developed several ways of identifying online risks. We can summarise the main risks in five categories: (a) inappropriate content, (b) inappropriate contact, (c) inappropriate conduct, (d) health-related risks, and (e) consumer-related issues.
đĄ Reflection point
Before we go into further detail, it is good to note what various studies have concluded: although children and young people are exposed to risks, not every risk leads to actual harm. In other words, the levels of harm are âsignificantly lowerâ than those of risk, in that the children could be taking risks but not necessarily experiencing harm. For example, making online contact with strangers is perhaps the most serious risk, and many children do make such contact. However, few of them go on to make offline contact with that person, and most of such meetings do not lead to harm.Â
How do you feel about this finding? Does it impact the way you look at child online protection? Should it impact stakeholdersâ approach towards protecting children online?
(a) Inappropriate content
Children can be exposed to content inappropriate for their age. This includes sexual and adult content, which affects children and young people in different ways.
Pro-anorexia, self-harm, and drug-related content is particularly damaging to vulnerable teenagers struggling with image issues and other personal and social problems.
Inappropriate content also includes violent content. Violent games, for example, involve sophisticated weapons (showing features of real weapons and fantasy features) and bloodshed. In recent years, several online challenges have induced young adults to commit dangerous â even life-threatening â acts.
(b) Inappropriate contact
Children can be exposed to harmful and violent contact, such as bullying and harassment, when using social apps and networks, chat rooms (including gaming chat rooms), and messaging platforms. A child or young person can also be a perpetrator in a peer-to-peer context or harass their peers (also described as inappropriate conduct).
Inappropriate contact can include more heinous or dangerous activities such as grooming by potential perpetrators of sexual abuse, and other abusive and illegal interactions. Such contact places the child as a participant in an adult-initiated online interaction, possibly unwillingly or unknowingly.
(c) Inappropriate conduct
In addition to cyberbullying and harassment, conduct such as sharing inappropriate comments, self-generated indecent images (also known as self-generated explicit material), or sensitive personal information can expose children to more serious harm. This happens because children and young people often fail to fully comprehend the implications for themselves and others of the permanence of content posted online (digital tattoos), or the long-term effect of their content (digital footprint).
(d) Health-related risks
The risks arising from internet addiction and online gaming are becoming more evident. Children under the age of five are more prone to internet addiction, especially social media, due to early access to electronic devices.
đ Resource
In 2018, the World Health Organization recognised âgaming disorderâ as a medical condition (Video 2). This prompted some countries, such as the UK, to open specialised centres for treating digital-related addiction.Â
(e) Consumer-related issues
Risks related to online use (often referred to as consumer-related or commercial risks) are mainly linked to data misuse and privacy, and can be interpersonal, institutional, and commercial. Risks include identity theft, breach of privacy, receiving inappropriate advertising and spam, and exposure to hidden costs (such as apps or games inviting users to make in-app purchases). Childrenâs data, including geo-location, biometric, and other sensitive information, is often gathered and processed without true informed consent, resulting in a violation of their rights â from their right to protection from abuse and violence, to their right to privacy.
đ Case study
Young people in Kenya and their online experience
A 2013 study, commissioned by UNICEF among 12 to 17-year-olds who have access to mobile phones and the internet, was focused on the behaviour and perceptions of safety and risk among these young users. The study, A (Private) Public Space: Examining the Use and Impact of Digital and Social Media among Adolescents in Kenya, found that:Â
– Many young people consider digital and social media an integral part of their lives and use the internet regularly. They use social media platforms and chat forums, access audio/video content, play games, and search for information. Their explorations and social interactions may occasionally lead to risky behaviour.
– They tend to have blurred distinctions between online-only and other friends from their schools, neighbourhoods, or other areas of their daily lives, referring to people in both groups as âfriendsâ. Some of these young people may try meeting online-only friends in person.
– Many report having encountered sexually explicit content via the internet, and some have shared such content with others. Interactions with online friends sometimes lead to suggestive self-exposure and sexually explicit conversations (Figure 2).
– They want to learn about digital safety but prefer to do so from peers and information they can find online. They feel their parents may not have necessary information or skills.
Parents are often unaware of how digitally engaged their children are and tend not to supervise the use of the internet. Due to parentsâ lack of understanding of digital media, discussions about the internet and social media tend to revolve around restricting young peopleâs use.
