One-Third Of Maltese Schoolchildren Have Complained About Receiving Inappropriate Online Messages
A recent study by misco reveals that nearly one-third of students between the ages of seven and 15 in Malta have been subjected to rude or inappropriate messages on social media.
15% of the surveyed children experienced some form of online abuse, with comments ranging from insults to self-harm.
The survey, conducted from May to June 2023, involved 387 students across Malta’s schools. It was commissioned by the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society (MFWS) as part of its Promote Online Protection Project — P.O.P-Up.
The survey findings indicate that 32% of children received unwanted messages, with 30% of these unsolicited messages constituting hate mail.
Children aged 11 to 13 who spend more than six hours a day online comprised 11% of the sample, while 18% of children aged seven to 10 spend more than three hours a day online.
The unveiling of the survey results came at a press conference addressed by MFWS chair and Eurochild president, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
Coleiro Preca stated, “Children are vulnerable to exploitation and we cannot be complacent in the face of this traumatic situation.”
The P.O.P-Up project aims to protect youngsters from online abuse through a multi-pronged approach, including specialized training sessions for psychosocial teams within Malta’s state, church, and private schools, and the distribution of guidelines translated into Maltese by the University of Malta’s Translation Department.
The study also found that while 76% of all schoolchildren were aware of online abuse, 9% of seven- to 10-year-olds chatted with strangers, and 46% of this age group surfed the internet alone.
The study also found that TikTok was the most popular social media platform among schoolchildren, followed by Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
“It is up to the concerted effort of each and every one of us to safeguard our children from online abuse to ensure tomorrow’s generation can avail themselves of a safe internet environment, which is crucial for the well-being of our children and society at large.”
Do you think there should be stricter cyber regulations to safeguard our children online?