Parents More Concerned About Cyberbullying Than Pregnancy or Drug Use

A new survey says that Canadian parents are more concerned about cyberbullying than drugs, teenage pregnancy or alcohol.

Primus Telecommunication (Primus) joined forces with PREVNet, the country’s leading authority on bullying prevention, to develop a program for parents to use with children. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidents of cyberbullying across the country and will launch later this year.

"Our research clearly shows that online safety has become a top concern for parents across the country and our aim, as one of Canada's leading ISPs, is to help them understand how to deal with it - even before it becomes a problem," said Brad Fisher, Primus executive and online safety advocate. "By partnering with PREVNet, we can provide parents and adults working with youth a much-needed resource so they can turn their concerns into positive action. This program will arm them with the knowledge; skills, support and confidence they need to tackle this important issue and, most importantly, protect their kids."

According to the survey, Protecting Canadian Families Online, parents are more concerned about cyberbullying, 48 per cent, than they are about teen pregnancy, at 44 per cent. This is then followed by drug use at 40 per cent and alcohol use at 38 per cent. While parents are concerned about what their child is sharing online, one in five admits that they themselves have sent or received intimate photos or messages via text or online.

Parents also seem to be aware that their children have Facebook accounts even though they are underage. One in five parents report knowing that their children between the ages of eight and 10 have Facebook accounts, even though the minimum age is 13 years old.

The survey also found that one in 10 parents admit to being aware their child, or one of their child's friends, has received images or messages online intended to hurt someone. For parents who learn that their child is being cyberbullied, education remains the primary form of defense.

According to PREVNet, though, youth and adults may not be speaking the same language when it pertains to online communications and cyberbullying prevention. The majority of parents, 81 per cent, feel that they are most responsible for protecting their children from cyberbullying. Interestingly, Ontario parents (77 per cent) are significantly less likely than parents in Quebec (84 per cent) and Alberta (89 per cent) to assign primary responsibility for their children's safety to themselves.

When parents were asked who else should be responsible for protecting their child they responded schools, 54 per cent, social media companies at 41 per cent, the government with 31 per cent and friends at 30 per cent.