Norton Research: Parents Worry Children are More Likely to be Bullied in the Online World than on a Playground

Norton Research:
Parents Worry Children are More Likely to be Bullied in the Online World than
on a Playground

Norton Cyber Security
Insights Report Reveals Parents’ Concerns About Cyberbullying and the Online World

SINGAPORE – January 19, 2017 – Norton by
Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC), today released findings from the 2016 Norton Cyber
Security Insights Report: Family Edition, which sheds light on parents’
perceptions of cyberbullying and the preventative measures they are putting in
place to protect their children.

The report reveals that while 71% of parents allow
children to access the Internet before age 11, many had a wide range of
concerns. For example, almost half (48%) of Singaporean parents believe their
children are more likely to be bullied online than on a playground.  

“Children today face threats beyond physical violence
or face-to-face encounters,” said Gavin Lowth, Vice President, Consumer
Business Unit, Asia Pacific and Japan, Symantec. “Cyberbullying is a
growing issue
and parents are struggling to identify and respond to this threat. A concern
for many parents is that cyberbullying doesn’t stop when their child leaves
school – as long as your child is connected to a device, a bully can connect to
them.”

                                                                                                                                                     

In addition to cyberbullying, parents’ chief concerns
were that their children might:

·         Download malicious programs or a virus (67%)

·         Disclose too much personal information to strangers (66%)

·         Be lured into meeting a stranger in the physical world (65%)

·         Do something online that makes the whole family vulnerable (55%), embarrassed (50%) or haunts them in the future with job or
university prospects
(50%)

Parents Beginning to Step Up Family Cyber Security

The Norton Cyber Security Insights Report: Family
Edition shows that Singaporean parents are starting to recognize how damaging
cyberbullying can be for children and are putting in place preventative
measures. For example,

·         37% parents chose
to check their child’s browser history

·         38% only allow
access to certain websites

·         39% allow
Internet access only with parental supervision; 33% review and
approve all apps before they are downloaded

·         35% enable
Internet access only in household common areas

·         28% limit
information posted on social profiles and 24% set parental
controls through home routers

One interesting finding from the survey is that
parents from countries, who had the strictest preventative measures in place,
also had the lowest incidence of cyberbullying. The survey also reveals that
more than one in 10 (11%) parents fail to take
any action to protect their children online.

“Many parents are still in the dark about how to
recognize the signs of cyberbullying and what to do if their children are
impacted. The first steps for all parents is to educate themselves about the
signs of cyberbullying and learn how to establish an open line of communication
with their children,” added Lowth.

Starting a Conversation

The Norton Cyber Security Insights Report indicates
that only 9% of Singaporean parents reported their child was cyberbullied. While
on the surface, this may seem like cyberbullying is not a problem, the reality
is that many parents don’t know how to recognize the signs of cyberbullying, so
the problem is likely under-reported. Additionally, many children choose to
remain silent about cyberbullying due to a fear of losing access to devices and
the Internet, or that parents will embarrass them or exacerbate the problem by
contacting the bully’s parents or the school.

If you suspect or are worried about cyberbullying, the
first step is communication. Cyberbullying is a sensitive subject, and starting
a conversation can be difficult.

Signs of Cyberbullying

Some of the signs that indicate a child is being
cyberbullied include:

·         They appear nervous when receiving a text/online
message or email

·         Habits with devices change. They may begin avoiding
their devices or using them excessively

·         They make excuses to avoid going to school

·         They become defensive or secretive about online
activity

·         They withdraw from friends and family

·         They have physical symptoms such as trouble sleeping,
stomach aches, headaches, and weight loss or gain

·         They begin falling behind in school or acting out

·         Their grades start declining

·         They appear especially angry, frustrated or sad,
particularly after going online/checking devices

·         They delete social media or email accounts

To learn more about cyberbullying signs and tips to
start an open conversation that is easier for both parents and children,
visit http://norton.com/cyberbullying.