The study of 1,162 children was conducted by ISC2 IT security education group, and revealed that nearly one in five children had arranged to meet ‘friends’ they knew solely through the web.
'Many admitted sharing personal information'
Almost half of those surveyed admitted going online every day, with many staying on the web for more than 2 hours, and 22% remaining online after 9pm, with 7% still online after midnight.
The most popular online activity was playing video games, closely followed by social networking and watching videos.
Many admitted sharing personal information and playing games rated for much older children.
Although many parents are concerned about information shared on social networking sites such as facebook, twitter and instagram, parents aren’t always aware of the social aspect involved in online games.
Report author Tim Wilson said:
‘Primary school children know far more about the internet than their parents do. Youngsters actually participate in a lot of risky behaviours that I don't believe the parents know about. Not because of any ill will on behalf of the parents, it's just that the parents do not understand technology.’
‘Primary school children know far more about the internet than their parents do'
And a second survey shockingly revealed 55% of young people in England accept cyber-bullying as part of everyday life.
An increasing number of young people are now calling for online safety to be part of the national curriculum.
Luke Roberts, national co-ordinator of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, has called for the government, parents and social networking sites to come together to teach young people how to stay safe online.
‘We need a collaborative approach to tackling cyberbullying, so children themselves can take responsibility for their own safety online and know where to turn for help when things go wrong,’ he said.