Academic presents research on risks faced by children online
An academic from the University of West London’s (UWL) School of Psychology, Social Work and Human Sciences, presented research at a recent conference about the risks that children face online.
Organised by the Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commission, delegates from across the UK attended the event titled Protecting Our Children in the Modern World.
Dr Anke Görzig presented findings from EU Kids Online, a multinational research network funded by the EC’s Better Internet for Kids programme. The initiative aims to gain a greater understanding of the opportunities for children online, as well as examining safety factors. Studies conducted included a survey of over 25,000 children and parents from 33 countries across Europe.
The research from Dr Görzig looked in detail at the potential risks that children might face online, as well as the potential for harm to vulnerable children.
Speaking about her research, Dr Görzig said, “The media can often misrepresent risk and harm faced by children and they should be differentiated. Not every child facing a risk factor online said they were upset by the experience.”
Dr Görzig is further developing ways in which to implement cyber-bullying prevention, with a particular focus on groups of children who were identified as vulnerable in the study.
Click here to read more about the EU Kids Online project, visit the School of Psychology or follow @UWLPsych on Twitter.
