School children in India are most vulnerable to cyber bullying

A new survey reveals that over 35 per cent children have had their accounts hacked, while 16 per cent had received inappropriate messages online.

Schoolchildren in India are most vulnerable to cyber-bullying, account hacking and receiving inappropriate messages, according to the findings of a recent survey.

The Telenor India WebWise survey by Norwegian telecom giant Telenor analysed Internet usage and access patterns of children across schools in 13 cities, involving 2,727 students.

The study showed that over 35 per cent children have had their accounts hacked while 15.74 per cent shared they had received inappropriate messages.

About 15 per cent of those bullied online complained, whereas 10.41 per cent faced humiliation through pictures/videos that were uploaded on the Internet.

While majority of the children were willing to approach their parents in case they experienced any harm online, over 76 per cent were not aware of the existence of the helpline for children: 1098.

“While the survey highlighted the vulnerabilities and cyber threats, it presented insights that can help create focused awareness campaigns around safe Internet practices,” Sharad Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer, Telenor India Communications, said.

In addition, social media giant Facebook emerged as the favourite platform of school children, followed by WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram.

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