Comparing online risks faced by European children: reflections on youthful Internet use in Britain, Germany and Spain

European research and policy is paying growing attention to the risks faced by children as they use the internet. The EU Kids Online network has recently scoped the available findings, comparing research across 21 European countries in order to identify both cross-national similarities and differences across Europe. This article first presents the justification and methodology for a cross-national approach, then overviews the key findings. On the basis of a classification of countries according to children's internet use and risk, the article then focuses on three contrasting countries: Britain (classified as high use, high risk), Germany (classified as medium use, low risk) and Spain (classified as low use, medium risk). Findings and policy initiatives can thus be meaningfully compared across these countries.