Hong Kong Kids Online

With increasing amounts of time spent online, young people are at greater risk in the digital world. Save the Children Hong Kong commissioned a research team at the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong to conduct this study in primary and secondary schools over the past two years. The aim was to better identify the risks that young people are exposed to online and understand the factors that influence their vulnerability and protection. The Hong Kong Kids Online study includes survey responses from over 1,300 children and teenagers from different socio-economic backgrounds and ages, as well as in-depth group interviews with secondary school students. The findings indicate that teenagers face significant online safety risks, and that there is an immediate need for parents, schools and the government to do more to help children keep themselves safe online and to limit the online safety risks faced by the young generation.

Key findings include:

· Teenager sexual abuse is happening twice as often in the virtual world compared to the physical world. The study results show that 4 out of every 10 secondary school students have had at least one unwanted online sexual content exposure, solicitation, or experience in the last 12 months.

· Teenagers who experience abuse or neglect in real life are at much greater risk of being re-victimised online than their peers and are 4 times more likely to face unwanted online sexual experiences on average

· 1 in 5 teenagers in Hong Kong have experienced cyberbullying in the last year

· Parents play an important role in child protection in the digital world. The findings reflect that teenagers of parents who more often encourage their child to explore the internet and suggest ways for their child to stay safe on the internet face less unwanted online sexual experiences on average.

· Support from teachers and schools is also essential in protecting young people online. Students who report that their school or teachers regularly guide them in internet education appear to face unwanted online sexual experiences, the worst forms of online child sexual abuse, and cyberbullying less commonly.

· Students from the focus groups also made suggestions for the government to create a safe online environment for young people while allowing them to learn and express themselves online.

· The report includes recommendations for policy makers, parents, caregivers and young people to ensure the digital world remains a safe place for Hong Kong’s young people.