Safety in cyberspace

A survey was conducted among 692 Australian 13- to 16-year-olds to examine aspects of their Internet use and, in particular, their exposure to inappropriate material and behaviors online and their online safety practices. Significant differences were found in the amount of exposure to inappropriate material or behaviors online according to sex and frequency of usage, with males and more frequent Internet users showing greater exposure. No differences were found according to whether blocking or filtering software was installed. Significant differences in online safety practices were also found, with younger participants (13- to 14-year-olds) and those participants whose parents had not discussed Internet safety with them being less safety conscious.