NordVPN Study: Brits Worry More About Cyberbullies Than They do About COVID-19
Cybersecurity expert shares tips on protecting children online.
London, United Kingdom, July 03, 2021 --(PR.com)-- According to a recent survey by NordVPN, Brits are worried about cyberbullying twice as much as about COVID-19, the economy, or crime. And the numbers are bound to rise as lockdowns force millions to live their lives on the internet.
The same study shows that British children mostly experience cyberbullying in online games and on social media. The latter accounts for 70% of cyberbullying cases, 47% of which occur on Instagram, 37% on Facebook, and 31% on Snapchat.
“Online bullying isn't restricted to purely emotional abuse: some perpetrators can go even further and launch various forms of cyberattacks. These can range from hacking someone's social media accounts and defacing their profiles to finding a victim's location through their IP address and posting their home address online,” comments Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN.
Who is responsible for cyberbullying?
65% of UK adults think platform owners have a duty to prevent the abuse, while 70% believe that the families of younger victims are responsible for protecting them from cyberbullies.
Reporting features within social apps are important, but most victims of cyberbullying simply resort to blocking bullies.
There are only so many measures platform owners can take to curtail cyberbullying, which may be why the majority of respondents feel that the responsibility lies with the victim’s family and social circle.
Protecting your child from cyberbullies
As a parent, you can't protect your children at all times. However, Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN, recommends some steps parents can take today to lower the risks their kids face online.
Make sure their devices and accounts are secure. Strong passwords can prevent bullies from accessing the victim's social media accounts or even a stolen device. A good password should be at least 8 characters in length, contain a mixture of letters, symbols, and numbers, and avoid any recognizable dictionary words.
Make sure to adjust privacy settings. Teach your child to adjust their privacy settings on social media. They can decide who gets to see certain images, stories, and snaps, and who gets to view their profile. Settings can be changed at any point.
Give them other safe spaces to vent. Young people sometimes use online spaces to open up emotionally, which can attract unwanted predators. Encourage them to express themselves to you or their close friends privately to avoid them giving ammunition to online attackers.
Advise them against using their real names for online accounts. Creating a moniker for online accounts can help protect your child's true identity should things get complicated. It may also prevent bullies from using their real name to find out where they live, what school they go to, or who their family members are.
NordVPN is a Gold supporter of today’s Stop Cyberbullying Day
Stop Cyberbullying Day, which takes place on every third Friday in June, is an annual event in which many organizations and celebrities around the world come together to combat online abuse and build a safer, more inclusive internet.
“We are extremely grateful to NordVPN for becoming top-tier supporters of Stop Cyberbullying Day 2021. Their support not only helps us to reach millions of people each year but also to continue offering year-round support and education services to those in need,” said a spokesperson for Stop Cyberbullying Day.
About NordVPN
NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider used by over 14 million internet users worldwide. NordVPN provides double VPN encryption, malware blocking, and Onion Over VPN. The product is very user-friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide, and is P2P-friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is the zero-log policy. For more information: nordvpn.com.
The same study shows that British children mostly experience cyberbullying in online games and on social media. The latter accounts for 70% of cyberbullying cases, 47% of which occur on Instagram, 37% on Facebook, and 31% on Snapchat.
“Online bullying isn't restricted to purely emotional abuse: some perpetrators can go even further and launch various forms of cyberattacks. These can range from hacking someone's social media accounts and defacing their profiles to finding a victim's location through their IP address and posting their home address online,” comments Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN.
Who is responsible for cyberbullying?
65% of UK adults think platform owners have a duty to prevent the abuse, while 70% believe that the families of younger victims are responsible for protecting them from cyberbullies.
Reporting features within social apps are important, but most victims of cyberbullying simply resort to blocking bullies.
There are only so many measures platform owners can take to curtail cyberbullying, which may be why the majority of respondents feel that the responsibility lies with the victim’s family and social circle.
Protecting your child from cyberbullies
As a parent, you can't protect your children at all times. However, Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN, recommends some steps parents can take today to lower the risks their kids face online.
Make sure their devices and accounts are secure. Strong passwords can prevent bullies from accessing the victim's social media accounts or even a stolen device. A good password should be at least 8 characters in length, contain a mixture of letters, symbols, and numbers, and avoid any recognizable dictionary words.
Make sure to adjust privacy settings. Teach your child to adjust their privacy settings on social media. They can decide who gets to see certain images, stories, and snaps, and who gets to view their profile. Settings can be changed at any point.
Give them other safe spaces to vent. Young people sometimes use online spaces to open up emotionally, which can attract unwanted predators. Encourage them to express themselves to you or their close friends privately to avoid them giving ammunition to online attackers.
Advise them against using their real names for online accounts. Creating a moniker for online accounts can help protect your child's true identity should things get complicated. It may also prevent bullies from using their real name to find out where they live, what school they go to, or who their family members are.
NordVPN is a Gold supporter of today’s Stop Cyberbullying Day
Stop Cyberbullying Day, which takes place on every third Friday in June, is an annual event in which many organizations and celebrities around the world come together to combat online abuse and build a safer, more inclusive internet.
“We are extremely grateful to NordVPN for becoming top-tier supporters of Stop Cyberbullying Day 2021. Their support not only helps us to reach millions of people each year but also to continue offering year-round support and education services to those in need,” said a spokesperson for Stop Cyberbullying Day.
About NordVPN
NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider used by over 14 million internet users worldwide. NordVPN provides double VPN encryption, malware blocking, and Onion Over VPN. The product is very user-friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide, and is P2P-friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is the zero-log policy. For more information: nordvpn.com.
Contact
NordVPN
Laura Tyrell
+467 9873 4591
https://nordvpn.com
Laura Tyrell
+467 9873 4591
https://nordvpn.com
Contact
Categories