Research

UKCCIS Evidence Group

Research and evidence is vital to inform the promotion of a safer online environment for children. The UKCCIS Evidence Group provides UKCCIS with a timely, critical and rigorous account of the relevant research. It includes representatives from academia, government, NGOs and industry, and meets regularly in order to identify, evaluate and commission new research relevant to child internet safety.

The Research Highlights Series overviews new findings as they become available. The Evidence Group exercises editorial control over the selection and production of these Research Highlights, and we invite researchers and stakeholders to inform us of recent and ongoing research.

Introduction to the Research Highlights Series

Guidelines for the submission of a UKCCIS Evidence Group Research Highlight

Research Highlights Series

49: EU Kids Online - In their own words: What bothers children online?

EU Kids Online and LSE (Feb 2013) Full publication
A summary of the results of the analysis of 9,636 responses to the open-ended question: “What things on the internet would bother people about your age?” asked by the EU Kids Online questionnaire. This large-scale quantitative survey was administered face-to-face at home to a random stratified sample of 25,142 children aged 9-16 who use the internet, plus one of their parents, during Spring/Summer 2010 in 25 European countries. 

48: Virtually Anorexic - Where's the harm? A research study of pro-anorexia websites

University Campus Suffolk (Nov 2012) Full publication
A summary of the results of a qualitative study of 126 websites and blogs identified through a Google search for “pro-anorexia” between January and June 1012. The aim of the study was to gain knowledge and understanding of pro-anorexia sites and online communities, and to provide a review of the risks in relation to their use by young people.

47: Safer Internet Day Report - Have your Say: Listening to young people about their online rights and responsibilities

UK Safer Internet Centre (Feb 2013) Full publication
A summary of the results of the UK’s largest ever survey into young people’s attitudes toward online rights and responsibilities, involving a large-scale quantitative survey with over 24,000 young people age 7-19 years and qualitative findings from nine focus groups across the UK. 

46: CHILDWISE Monitor Pre-School Report 2012

ChildWise (May 2012) Full publication
An overview of the results of the CHILDWISE Monitor Pre-School Report 2012, and provides an overview of trends in the media use of children aged up to 4 years. 200 face-to-face street interviews were conducted with parents of children aged between 6 months and 4 years old during May 2012. 

45: FOSI Research: The Online Generation Gap – Contrasting Attitudes and Behaviours of Parents and Teens

The Family Online Safety Institute (Nov 2012) Full publication
A summary of the results of a study based on two nationwide online surveys in the U.S., the first involving 511 13-17 year-olds who used the internet at least occasionally, and the second of 500 parents of 13–17 year-olds who accessed the internet. 

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44: Internet Watch Foundation: Study of Self-Generated Sexually Explicit Images & Videos Featuring Young People Online

The Internet Watch Foundation (Nov 2012) Full publication
An overview of the results of a 4 week study by IWF Internet Content Analysts identifying images and video assessed as being self-generated content featuring young people. Illustrative quotes from young people who have made reports about such images are also included. 

43: Young People’s Online Behaviour : Findings from the European Online Grooming Project

The European Online Grooming Project (Apr 2012) Full publication
A summary of the results of Phase 3 of the European Online Grooming Project. This focused on a series of focus groups (N = 12) conducted with young people aged 11-16 years old in three European countries (UK, Italy and Belgium).

42: Online Offending Behaviour: Findings from the European Online Grooming Project

The European Online Grooming Project (Apr 2012) Full publication
A summary of the results of Phase 2 of the European Online Grooming Project. This focused on understanding groomers’ behaviour. This involved in-depth interviews with male offenders convicted of online grooming in the UK, Belgium and Norway (N = 33). Online groomers’ chat-logs were sourced from Italy. 

41: Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes - Focus on Parental Controls

Ofcom (Oct 2012) Full publication
A summary of Ofcom’s research on parental controls. This includes the results of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Literacy Tracker, a large-scale quantitative survey based on in-home interviews with children aged 5-15 and their parents/carers (N = 1717 conducted from March to April 2011). It also presents the results of qualitative research conducted during July 2012 with parents of children aged 5-15. This included a series of extended in-home family interviews, some of which included children, as well as group discussions with parents. A total of 85 parents and 10 children took part in the qualitative research.

40: Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes - Take Up and Use

Ofcom (Oct 2012) Full publication
A summary of the results of the Ofcom’s Children’s Media Literacy Tracker, a large-scale quantitative survey based on in-home interviews with children aged 5-15 and their parents/carers (N = 1717 conducted from March to April 2011). In 2012, this survey was also conducted with parents of children aged 3-4 (N= 190 interviews conducted in-home in March 2012).

39: Understanding Children’s Online Activities: Developing Research to Enhance Police Practice

Elena Martellozzo, Middlesex University (Apr 2012) 
A summary of the results of a qualitative study conducted in 4 schools located in diverse areas of London. It included 16 focus groups with 86 young people (age 10-16), and a small sample of 5 face-to-face interviews with head teachers and teachers.

38: Digital Parenting: An Evaluation

The Parent Zone (Aug 2012) Full publication
A summary of the findings of the evaluation of the Digital Parenting Magazine resource produced by Vodafone. 

37: Towards a better internet for children: Findings and recommendations from EU Kids Online to inform the CEO coalition 

EU Kids Online (Jun 2012) Full publication
A summary of the report presenting new findings and analysis of the EU Kids Online 25 country survey, and previously published findings relevant to EC Vice President Kroes’ CEO Coalition initiative to make the internet a better place for children. 

36: Identifying vulnerable children online and what strategies can help them

UKCCIS Evidence Group - Livingstone and Palmer (Jun 2012) Full publication
A report summarising the main findings and outcomes of the Vulnerability Seminar arranged by the UKCCIS Evidence Group on 24th January, 2012.

35: A qualitative study of children, young people and 'sexting'

Ringrose et al, commissioned by the NSPCC (Jun 2012) Full publication
A small-scale qualitative study using single-sex focus group interviews with 35 young people in years 8 and 10 in two inner city schools in London. An online ethnography was also conducted with 31 participants who accepted the researchers’ friending requests on Facebook, from which a further 22 students were selected from the focus groups for individual interviews.

34: EU Kids Online II Final Report 2011

EU Kids Online (Nov 2011) Full publication 
A summary of the recommendations of the Final Report of the EU Kids Online II Project. 

33: The protection of children online: a scoping review to identify vulnerable groups

Munro (Aug 2011) Full publication
A systematic literature review of research examining internet technology risks and online vulnerability.

32: Virtual Violence II: Progress and Challenges in the Fight against Cyberbullying (Teachers)

Beatbullying (Jun 2012)
Beatbullying’s second large-scale research study of cyberbullying among 11-16-year-olds in the UK aimed to explore the phenomenon of cyberbullying. Findings from teachers’ perspective. 

31: Virtual Violence II: Progress and Challenges in the Fight against Cyberbullying (Pupils)

Beatbullying (Jun 2012)
Beatbullying’s second large-scale research study of cyberbullying among 11-16 year olds in the UK aimed to explore the phenomenon of cyberbullying- findings from the pupils perspective.

30: Excessive social networking and young people

Mark Griffiths, Nottingham Trent University  (Jun 2012)
A systematic literature review was carried out examining excessive social networking addiction among children and adolescents.

29: Improving e-safety in primary schools

Lucy Shipton, Sheffield Hallam University (Aug 2011) Full publication 
A small scale qualitative study of the internet safety policies and procedures of two primary schools, based on interviews with teachers and focus groups with children.

28: Trends in media use

Childwise (May 2012) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children and young people’s media ownership, internet access and social networking sites use

27: EU Kids Online – online safety and disadvantaged children

EU Kids Online (Aug 2011) Full publication
A large-scale quantitative study observing trends in the risk-taking behaviours of disadvantaged groups of children.

26: Children and parents media use and attitudes: Ofcom's children's media literacy tracker 2011

Ofcom (Oct 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative study of media use and attitudes in children, young people and their parents.

25: EU Kids Online - Patterns of risk and safety online

EU Kids Online and London School of Economics (Aug 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative study, comparing trends and patterns in internet use among children and young people in EU countries.

24: EU Kids Online - cross-national comparisons

EU Kids Online and London School of Economics (Aug 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative study, comparing trends and patterns in internet use, risk taking and harm between children and young people in EU countries.

23: EU Kids Online - Bullying

EU Kids Online and London School of Economics (Aug 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative study of online bullying.

22: Attitudes to online privacy

Andy Phippen, University of Plymouth (July 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative study, comprising an online survey of children and young people which assessed their attitudes to online privacy.

21: Online gambling and young people

Mark Griffiths, Nottingham Trent University (Nov 2011) 
A literature review on online gambling among young people.

20: Internet safety and children with special educational needs

Lucy Faithfull Foundation (Aug 2011) Full publication
A small scale qualitative study on the internet safety concerns of children with special educational needs, focusing on difficulties experienced online and safety measures taken.

19: Vulnerable young people, social media and e-safety

Stephen Carrick-Davies (July 2011) Full publication
A small scale qualitative study on vulnerable young people’s use of social media and mobile phones, revealing the link between offline-online vulnerability, risky behaviours online and consequences.

18: Ofsted – younger children’s views

Ofsted (April 2011) Full publication
A small scale quantitative survey on children’s views on personal safety – online and offline. 

17: Internet safety and schools

Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University (May 2011) Full publication
A small scale quantitative survey of issues faced by school about internet safety, revealing safety provisions and concerns. 

16: Trends in media use

Childwise (May 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children and young people’s media ownership, internet access and social networking sites use.

15: Children’s and young people’s internet use and parental attitudes: Ofcom’s children’s media literacy tracker 2010

Ofcom (April 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children and young people’s media literacy, revealing their engagement online and parental awareness and attitudes.

14: Social networking, age and privacy

EU Kids Online and London School of Economics (April 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children’s use of social networking sites, focusing on under-age use and privacy settings.

13: Policing online child sexual abuse

Elena Martellozzo, Middlesex University (in press)
A small scale ethnographic study of the police’s covert investigations on online child sexual abuse, focusing on their policing strategies and the grooming process unravelled.

12: Research highlights for children’s online gaming and addiction: a brief overview of the empirical literature

Mark Griffiths, Nottingham Trent University (Nov 2010)
A literature review on children’s online gaming, revealing its incidence and consequences.

11: Online safety policy and practice in the UK – an analysis of 360 degree safe self review data

South West Grid for Learning and University of Plymouth (Sept 2010) Full publication
A small scale quantitative survey of issues faced by school about internet safety, revealing safety provisions and concerns. 

10: Sharing personal images and videos among young people

University of Plymouth (Nov 2009) Full publication
A small scale quantitative study of the ‘sexting’ practices, uncovering its prevalence and young people’s attitudes about it. 

09: Benchmarking of parental control tools for the online protection of children, SIP-Bench II

EC Safer Internet Programme (Jan 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative review of various parental control tools for children’s online protection, revealing their effectiveness and limitations.

08: Children’s online risks and safety – review of available evidence

National Foundation for Educational Research (Mar 2010) Full publication
A literature review on children’s online risks and safety, pointing to its occurrence and the gaps in evidence. 

07: EU Kids Online II – European findings on risks and safety for children on the internet

EU Kids Online and London School of Economics (Jan 2010) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children’s use of the internet, highlighting issues of risks, safety, and parental mediation. 

06: ‘Staying safe’ survey – findings for children’s internet safety

Department for Education (Feb 2010) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey that measures parents’ and children’s awareness, attitudes and reported behaviours of the safety issues children encounter online.

05: EU Kids Online II – UK findings

EU Kids Online and London School of Economics (Jan 2011) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children’s use of the internet, highlighting issues of risks, safety, and parental mediation.

04: Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre strategic overview 2009-2010

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (May 2010) Full publication
A large scale quantitative study of reports of online child abuse received by CEOP, bringing to light the forms and nature of these abuses.

03: Children’s and young people’s internet use and parental attitudes: Ofcom’s media literacy tracker – wave 1 2010

Ofcom (Aug 2010) Full publication
A large scale quantitative survey of children and young people’s media literacy, revealing their engagement online and parental awareness and attitudes.

02: Exploring online safety knowledge and evaluating CEOP’s Think U Know (TUK) education programme

Kingston University (July 2009) Full publication
A large scale mixed methods study of young people’s knowledge about internet safety and their understanding of the Think U Know programme.

01: Offender behaviour - lessons for online safety

Kingston University and EC Safer Internet Programme (April 2010) Full publication
A large scale study of qualitative interviews of online grooming offenders, revealing their behaviours and information of the young people groomed. 

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Additional Resources

Children's online activities - Risks and safety: A review of the UK evidence base

Report from UKCCIS Evidence Group (2012)

Identifying Vulnerable Children Online And What Strategies Can Help Them

Report from UKCCIS Evidence Group (2012)

Parents and Internet Safety

Report from HCI Discussion Groups (2009)
Department for Children, Schools and Families

The protection of children online: a brief scoping review to identify vulnerable groups

Munro (2011)
Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre

Children’s online risks and safety: A review of the available evidence

NFER (2010)
Commissioned by UKCCIS

Internet and Mobility: Youth Technology Trends 

Technology Trends Report
Funded by BT

UKCCIS Summit 2011 Presentation

Sonia Livingstone

The research documents on this web page do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department for Education or UKCCIS members, including its Executive Board. They provide evidence and statistics which may inform UKCCIS’s direction and work.