YOUNG people need to be taught cyber resilience in schools because they do not feel equipped to navigate the online world, a charity has warned.
The Diana Award, which commissioned research to mark #StandUpToBullying day today, found that 83 per cent of children aged 10 to 16 wanted cyber lessons as part of their school timetable.
More than two fifths (43 per cent) of children said they worried about being bullied on social media and 30 per cent said they were concerned about about the validity of stories they read online, the YouGov poll found.
About 44 per cent reported being concerned about one of their online accounts or identities being hacked.
Of those youngsters questioned, 71 per cent used YouTube, 52 per cent Instagram, 51 per cent Snapchat and 49 per cent Facebook.
Some 79 per cent of UK parents with children aged 18 and under want lessons on digital resilience to be compulsory as part of the national curriculum, and more than a quarter (28 per cent) said they were not confident they could protect their children from potential dangers online.
Tessy Ojo, chief executive officer of the Diana Award, said: “We all have a part to play from workplaces, government, celebrities, schools to the internet – the research is clear that generations do not feel equipped to navigate their online world.
“We’re calling on every school to teach young people about digital resilience and help young people to deal with issues they face online and give them the tools to bounce back.
“Not only will this protect a generation of vulnerable young people, it will also shift attitudes and change behaviours.”
The Diana Award is working in partnership with Vodafone to create the Be Strong Online programme, which helps students and staff improve their digital skills, covering topics such as cyberbullying, gaming, selfies, privacy and social networking.
#StandUpToBullying day urges people to speak out against bullying in the home, workplace, school, sports and all parts of society. The charity was set up in memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales – mother to the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
Another study by ChannelMum.com to mark national Stand Up To Bullying Day showed that the majority of parents believe bullying in schools is more intense now than it was when they were children.
Researchers found eight out of 10 parents worry children were singled out at school more frequently now, mainly because of social media and mass ownership of smart phones.
It also emerged more than three-quarters of the parents who took part in the study had a hard time at the hands of playground bullies when they were growing up, compared to 31 per cent of children today.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here