One in four primary school children have been “bothered” by harmful or unsolicited content online.

That’s according to a new report from the online safety charity CyberSafeKids which found that children aged 8 to 12 were most upset by experiences on platforms like YouTube and Roblox.

The harmful content reported by children ranged from scams to harassment and sexual material.

The report also revealed that 77% of children say their parents can’t see what they’re doing online and 83% are allowed to use devices in their room.

Additionally, 35% of children can go online whenever they want - a figure that rises to 61% for 12-14 year-olds in secondary school.

Online safety education

CyberSafeKids CEO Alex Cooney highlighted the “vital” need for online safety education in schools.

“Children are under-prepared and ill-equipped to be online,” he said.

“Algorithms that serve up often inappropriate content are hugely problematic for children.

“Our data shows how popular social gaming environments such as Roblox are with young children, yet they fly under the radar for regulation requirements.

“We call on the Government to urgently address this serious gap to ensure positive experiences for the children and young people using these services.”

The report, titled ‘Left To Their Own Devices,’ also noted that 65% of children have been contacted by a stranger online.

Anxiety and addiction

Barry O’Leary, the principal of St Kevin’s School in Sallynoggin, said the report’s findings align with what he observes in school.

“[Children] are subject to an irrepressible firehose of content - often addictive, sometimes damaging - and we seem to have no reasonable expectation that digital service providers should ensure safe or age-appropriate experiences,” he said.

“This is causing sleep deprivation, anxiety, and addiction.”

Some 84% of teachers also reported that online safety was a significant issue at their school.

Main image: Person with fingers on keyboard of laptop. Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire