Norton by Symantec released findings from the 2016 Norton Cyber Security Insights Report: Family Edition, which sheds light on parents’ perceptions of cyberbullying and the preventative measures they are putting in place to protect their children.
The report reveals that while 40 percent of Indian parents allowed their children to access the Internet before age 11, many had a wide range of concerns. For example, more than half (54 percent) of Indian parents believe their children are more likely to be bullied online than on a playground.
“Children today face threats beyond physical violence or face-to-face encounters,” said Ritesh Chopra, Country Manager, Norton by Symantec. “Cyberbullying is a growing issue and parents are struggling to identify and respond to this threat. A concern for many parents is that cyberbullying doesn’t stop when their child leaves school – as long as your child is connected to a device, a bully can connect to them.”
One interesting finding from the survey is that parents from countries, who had the strictest preventative measures in place also had the lowest incidence of cyberbullying. The survey also reveals that 7 percent of parents fail to take any action to protect their children online.
“Many parents are still in the dark about how to recognize the signs of cyberbullying and what to do if their children are impacted. The first steps for all parents is to educate themselves about the signs of cyberbullying and learn how to establish an open line of communication with their children,” added Chopra.