A qualitative study on parents' awareness of online predatory behaviours
Authors
Mostovaia, Sofia
Issue Date
2020
Degree
Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychology
Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychology
Abstract
Among multiple risks children are exposed online, child sexual abuse saw a rapid growth in the last years. Children are groomed and sexually exploited across social media, online games and live streaming. The current study looked into parents' awareness of online predatory behaviours, focusing on above-mentioned spaces and online grooming. Five female parents took part in semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the participants see more risks than benefits for children being online, but underestimate riskiness of online games and live streaming. They are not always familiar with the concept of grooming, but have a good intuition which actions by online strangers are alarming. As a risk mitigation strategy they utilise physical presence, and count on building trust with a child as opposed to usage of parental control tools. This study lays a good foundation for qualitative and quantitative future research of multiple aspects of child safety online.