Teen exposure to harmful material online doubles

Teenagers’ exposure to harmful online material has doubled in just two years as youngsters spending more time on the web and have their own social networking profiles before even reaching their teens.

The research findings are part of an EU project and show that one in five Irish children say they have been bothered by something on the internet in the past year. This is double the figure reported in 2011 and is as high as 37% among 15- to 16-year-olds.

However, while older teens experience more bullying or see more sexualimages or other unsuitable content, the study reveals that almost 40% of Irish 11- and 12-year-olds have a social networking profile despite age restrictions set at 13 for most services. One in 10 of those aged 13 or 14 has received sexual messages online, rising to 22% of 15- and 16-year-olds.