Inroduction
Background of the study Now that the Internet is increasingly within everyone's reach, children are more and more exposed, on line, to risks which their parents cannot always control: harassment, abuse, pornography, incitement to racism and suicide, as well as cyber-bullying. The last-named refers to bullying by persons of a violent disposition who go on-line with the intention of using the new information technologies to cause harm. This kind of bullying may range from the misuse of e-mail to the publication of videos showing attacks, often filmed on mobile phones.
Young people's private lives are also increasingly laid bare by the often personal information published in their blogs, on social networks, in chatrooms, and so on. At a very young age, web users face some complex issues: copyright on the Internet, image rights, protection of personal data and private life, and the risks inherent in the Internet’s new social forums.
In order to teach them how to react responsibly to any potentially harmful Internet content and conduct that they may encounter, the Council of Europe has devised an interactive game called Wild Web Woods. This game uses fairy tales with which they are familiar to guide them through a maze of potential dangers towards the fabulous "electronic city". Designed primarily for 7 to 10-year-olds, and available in 24 languages, it has been produced in the spirit of the "Building a Europe for and with children" programme.
Statement of the Problem The of this study is to provide concrete evidence of just how much objectionable material there truly is on the World Wide Web.
1. What is the effect of the Internet to the Children?
2. Why do children surf?
3. How do children use the internet?
4. How do children surf often?
Hypotheses
The following are the hypotheses of this research study:
1. Children who use social networking sites will encounter more risks online than those who do not, is