How can parents support children’s internet safety?

Given the Safer Internet Day 2012 theme of Connecting Generations, we ask whether, instead of imposing restrictions, parents can support their child’s internet safety by sharing a positive experience of internet use with them. An analysis of parental mediation in the EU Kids Online survey of 25,142 9-16 year olds in 25 countries shows that restrictive mediation reduces online risks, but it also reduces their online opportunities and skills. The new analysis in this report shows that when parents actively mediate their child’s internet use, this too is associated with lower risk and, most important, lower harm. However, parental active mediation of use is linked to more (not fewer) online activities and skills.