Information for Parents

DEAR parents, we want to assure you that we have your children’s best interest in our minds as we launch this survey. The safety of teenagers within the environment of the Internet has been a concern in all our minds for many years. This survey could be one of the proactive steps taken to hear the voices of teenagers themselves about the areas in which they take risks knowingly or unknowingly while using the Internet.

We are sure that such information will be very useful to help identify the areas in which teenagers need help and guidance. The findings of this survey will be useful not only for the teenagers but also to various other people such as teachers, counsellors and members of the community who are in a position to help young people.

We hope that this survey will be successful in hearing the voices of teenagers first hand and pass on the same messages to you all.

What is it all about?
This is a survey for Australian 13 to 17 year olds about their internet use and any risks they take while using the internet. The major topics covered by the survey and a few sample questions are as follows:
  • Online computer games:
    • Do you play online computer games?
    • If yes, approximately how many hours per week do you spend playing online computer games?
  • Experiences with online chat rooms:
    • Discussion in the chat room made me feel uncomfortable but I was forced by the members of the chat room to continue chatting
    • Bullied by someone which made me to feel sad and upset
  • Experiences with sexual images available in the internet
    • How often do you find yourself visiting the websites which are sexual in nature that you didn’t expect to be connected to?
    • Do you get offended by your frequent exposure to websites such as pornography?
  • Experiences with online games and gambling websites:
    • How often do you find yourself visiting the websites which promote gambling activities such as lottery, casinos, etc., that you didn’t expect to be connected to?
    • Have you had an argument or misunderstanding with your parents due to your online gambling activity?
  • Experiences with online shopping:
    • How often do you find yourself visiting the websites which promote their products online that you didn’t expect to visit?
    • Being a victim of online scams
  • Other online activities:
    • Have you received threatening emails?
    • Have you received a stranger’s picture online?
    • Tick the websites which you have visited due to curiosity
Why this survey?
The Internet serves as a source of information for many important educational, recreational, social and commercial purposes. Through the technological tools such as e-mails and web cameras, teen agers have been using the Internet for many social and recreational purposes. Advertising, marketing and trading through the Internet has significantly increased in recent years.

Since virtually any one can use the Internet technology, everyone can have access to all sorts of information available within the Internet irrespective of age and level of maturity. Without any doubt, this cyber world has started playing an important role in the social world of young people beyond anyone’s imagination a decade ago. While young people can enjoy many benefits of the Internet, there are a few potential dangers while using the internet. Not much is known about these dangers and how young people are dealing with these dangers.

Understanding the ways in which children surf the internet and types of risks they take within the internet will be useful to undertake awareness creation and educational programs for the adolescents, parents and teachers. This understanding will help in creating awareness among the young people, parents and teachers about the behaviours which are risky and to empower the young people to protect themselves within the cyber space.

Keeping this in mind, this survey has been launched for young people of the age 12 – 17 year about their internet use and risks they take while using the internet.

What will come out of this survey?
  1. This survey will indicate the major purposes for which adolescents use the Internet and the location and duration of Internet use.
  2. This survey will explore the risky behaviours of adolescents while using the Internet and Internet chat rooms.
  3. Adult supervision and advice teenagers receive in the area of safe use of Internet.
  4. The level and type of support adolescents would like to receive in order to protect themselves within the cyber space.
  5. Based on the information collected through this survey, suggestions will be made to ensure teen agers are safe while using the internet.
Why should your child take part in this survey?
  • Because we would like to hear from your child the areas in which teen agers need guidance and help in appropriate use of internet.
  • Because even though every one is talking about protection of young people while using the internet no one knows about the specific ways in which teen agers can be protected while using the internet.
  • Because this is a chance for your child to reveal the areas in which teen agers take risks while using the internet and this information is crucial for protecting the young people from the dangers within the internet.
  • Because people responsible towards the protection of teen agers such as parents, teachers, police, policy makers, etc would like to hear the voices of teenagers first hand through this survey which will help them to help teenagers in specific ways.
Will my child's name and other details be kept confidential?
Yes. There is no way that anyone, including the people conducting the survey would know who they are.
Can I as a parent or anyone else read the answers provided by my child?
No. Because we don’t collect any personal details of your child and we will not know who has given what information.
Who is conducting this survey?
Dr Mubarak is a teacher and researcher in social work at Flinders University. Mubarak has conducted surveys about adolescent safety within internet chat rooms in the past and has spent many years researching this area.
Should my child still do the survey if they don’t have any bad experience or have not taken any risks while using the internet?
Yes. We’re interested in not just the risks they have taken but also the related aspects such as who has been providing guidance in safe use of the internet and what kind of support will help your child to use the computer safely in future.
What if my child is not a regular user of the internet?
They need not be a regular user of the internet to take part in this survey. If they have used the internet within the past 15 days they are eligible to take part in this survey.
Will people taking part in these kinds of surveys tell the truth?
A lot of people assume that because identities of the participants of these surveys are not known they can say anything in response to a survey. Some people would rather lie than tell the truth. However, the interesting thing is that studies have found that while a small number of respondents don’t admit to things they’ve done, and another small number will make up things they’ve done, most of us tell the truth most of the time.
Aren’t teenagers more likely to lie in a survey about risks they take while using the internet?
When it come to sensitive subjects like behaviour in the internet, people are more likely to tell the truth in an anonymous survey than the other types of surveys. Especially for teenagers, an anonymous survey provides the safest opportunity to share their experiences that might not be okay to share with either their friends or their parents.
Can I contact the author of the survey directly?
Yes. Everyone including teenagers, parents, teachers and anyone else who would like to contact Dr. Mubarak can do so by writing an email to mubarak@flinders.edu.au.
Can my child do the survey if they're nearly 12 (or just turned around 18)?
Yes. As long as they put your real age in the space provided, what you have to say is important to us. If they’re about to become a teenager, or they’ve only recently been one, they’ll still have a lot to say that will help us understand what teens are thinking and doing with the internet these days.
How long does it take to do the survey?
It can take anywhere from ten or fifteen minutes to complete this survey. Because some are simple yes/no/don’t know questions, but others ask you to tell your stories or give your opinions, the length of time it takes you to do the survey on how much you want to say.
Where can my children and I receive professional help and guidance on safe internet use?
Here are a few organisations that provide professional help and guidance in Internet safety for young people.
NetAlert
Australian Government service providing information and resources from their website or on free call 1800 880 176.

Cyber smart kids online
Australian communications and media authority – Australian Government

e-Safety
A joint venture by the South Australian Police, Department of Education and Children’s Services, Association of Independent Schools of SA, Catholic Education South Australia, CanDo4Kids Townsend House, School Care and Public Libraries of South Australia.

Children, Women and Youth Health Services

2 SMRT 4U

Safeteens.com

Young Media Australia

 
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