Many parents unaware if cyberbullying is an issue

While 89 percent of parents said they talk to their children about proper Internet safety, 40 percent do not know if cyberbullying is an issue at their child’s school, according to Awareness Technologies.

“Parents do their best to stay involved in their children’s lives, but the reality is kids don’t always tell them about issues at school or with friends, making it critical for parents to be in the know about who their children are interacting with,” said Brad Miller, CEO of Awareness Technologies.

As expected, eighty percent of survey respondents noted that they’re most worried about their children participating in sexting and other unacceptable behaviors online and on mobile phones, but surprisingly, only 20 percent responded that cyberbullying is their biggest worry.

Online predators were the second highest fear with 55 percent noting that as a top concern.

The survey also questioned participants about their children’s mobile phone usage, and found that seventy-six percent of respondents’ children have their own mobile phone. Among other key mobile findings:

• 40 percent of respondents’ children are using basic mobile phones; 20 percent are using Android devices, 18 percent have iPhones and 12 percent are using BlackBerry devices
• 46 percent of respondents believe the best time for a child to get his/her own phone is during Middle School (Grades 6-8) and 45 percent believe it’s best to wait until High School (Grades 9-12)
• The majority of respondents (49 percent) first purchased a mobile phone for their child when he/she was aged 13-18, followed by 32 percent who bought a cellphone for their child aged 7-12.