02 May One in four young people have been contacted over social media by an adult they don’t know
New shocking research by NSPCC and O2 has revealed that one in four young people have been contacted over social media by an adult they don’t know, with a third of these children aged under 13.
Children and parents were asked if they’d seen violent, bullying or adult content on the social networking sites and games that children use – with Facebook and YouTube receiving high risk ratings across the board.
Other sites found to be risky included Twitter and Reddit, with both rated high for inappropriate content.
A 13-year-old girl who reviewed Facebook said: “I don’t like that just random people can send you a friend request.”
Parents from the East of England who also took part in the research are concerned about the inappropriate content their children can access online.
NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless said: “Worryingly we are hearing from children as young as 13 who have been contacted by adults they don’t know on social media, which can be extremely upsetting.
He added “In addition our research shows children are being exposed to inappropriate and harmful content across a range of social networking sites and games, from the big names to those perhaps lesser known to parents.”
