Risky Online Behaviour by Age Group - Ages 9-10
The web sites and online activities mentioned by children and teens who participated in Young Canadians In A Wired World: The Students’ View paint a picture of Canadian youth who have claimed the Internet as a defining part of their culture. However, as young people embrace this exciting interactive medium, they may be putting themselves physically or emotionally at risk.
Some “red flags" for potentially risky behaviour include the following:
- Almost one-third of 9 -10 year olds use chat rooms.
- Of those children who visit chat rooms, 26% visit private and adult chat areas.
- Two out of ten children in this age category have been asked for their photo, phone number, street address or school by someone they have only met online.
- Nine per cent of kids this age have been asked by someone they've met on the Net to meet in person. Of those children who have met online acquaintances (7%), two out of ten went to meet that person with a friend and one out of ten went on their own.
- Over half the children in this age category have e-mail accounts. Of those children, two out of ten use their e-mail accounts to correspond with people they have only met on the Internet.
- One out of ten children in this age category has received pornography from someone they have met on the Internet.
