Two-Thirds of Parents Worried About the Internet and Children's Safety, Says New FindLaw.com Survey
Seventy-four percent restrict their children's use of the Internet
EAGAN, Minn., Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- While the Internet is a popular and still-growing source of information, e-commerce, social networking and more, two-thirds of American parents say they are worried about their children's safety using the Internet. That's the result of a new nationwide survey of parents by FindLaw.com, the most popular legal information website.
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According to the FindLaw.com survey, 67 percent of parents say they are extremely worried, very worried or somewhat worried about their children's safety online. However, not everyone worries: one-third of parents surveyed (34 percent) say they are either not very worried or not worried at all.
How worried are you about your children's safety when they use the Internet? |
||
Extremely worried |
10% |
|
Very worried |
18% |
|
Somewhat worried |
39% |
|
Not very worried |
20% |
|
Not worried at all |
14% |
|
Most parents are taking steps to restrict their children's use of the Internet. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of parents with Internet access at home have taken action to limit their children's use of the Internet. Monitoring which websites their children visit, and using filtering or site-blocking software are the most common measures taken.
Steps Taken by Parents to Control Internet Usage* |
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Monitor which sites they visit |
35% |
|
Use site-blocking software |
21% |
|
Restrict their access to computers |
19% |
|
Restrict their use of social networks |
18% |
|
Read their emails or social posts |
17% |
|
Don't allow any Internet use |
8% |
|
Other restrictions |
29% |
|
*Respondents could give more than one answer |
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"Our survey shows [that] the vast majority of parents (74 percent) are taking at least some steps to try and protect their children from what they feel are potentially dangerous or unwanted aspects of the Internet," said Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney and editor with FindLaw.com. "While the Internet can be a very useful tool for adults and children alike, there are many areas that can concern parents, from age-inappropriate content to cyberbullying to Internet predators and more. However, there are many options available for parents to monitor activities and limit access to certain parts of the Internet."
Free Internet resources, such as FindLaw.com's Internet Law for the Public section (http://public.findlaw.com/internet/), can provide helpful information on how to protect yourself and your family online.
The FindLaw survey was conducted using a survey of a demographically balanced sample of 627 parents and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4 percent.
Note to editors: Full survey results and analysis are available upon request.
CONTACT
Michelle Croteau FindLaw 651-687-5330 |
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SOURCE FindLaw.com
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