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Quantitative Eurobarometer surveys

Flash Eurobarometer 2008
Towards a safer use of the Internet for children in the EU – a parents’ perspective

For its 2008 Safer Internet Eurobarometer survey the Commission targeted parents of children between 6 and 17 years old from all 27 EU Member States. The main aim of the survey was to investigate parents'; perceptions and views on their children's use of Internet, as well as on the potential risks they may encounter online.

• Read press release

The results show that 75% of children aged from 6 to 17 years already use the Internet – a trend which continues to grow. Half of the parents who did not use Internet themselves said that their child had online access. At least half of the parents stated that they talk to their children about their online activities. In addition, they take precautionary measures such as not allowing their children to disclose personal information online (92%) or to talk to people they do not know (83%).

59% of parents declared that they use filtering or monitoring software. Parents who do not use filtering tools say they trust their children (64%) or did not know how to access or use them (14%). The SIP Bench study on filtering tools recently published by the Commission shows that overall tools have improved over the last three years and have become easier to install.

• Full report  (PDF 1.5 MB)
• Annexes  (PDF 4.3 MB)
• Summary report  (PDF 600KB)

Eurobarometer 2005

In 2005 a new quantitative Eurobarometer has been conducted in all 25 Member States, investigating the level of online and mobile equipment of children, the extent to which and locations where children have come across harmful and illegal content on the Internet and the measures taken by parents to protect their children when using the Internet. Results showed that 2 out of 10 European parents state their children encountered harmful or illegal content online. However, 60% of the parents whose children access the Internet had not set nor rules related to Internet usage.

• Report  (530 KB)
• Annex    (860 KB)

Eurobarometer 2003 and 2004

In 2003 a quantitative Eurobarometer survey was conducted in the 15 Member States to assess the attitude of European Union citizens towards illegal and harmful content on the Internet and their knowledge of how to protect their children against it. The same survey was carried out in 2004 in the 10 new Member States which joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 and a comparative report has been drawn up.

One of the conclusions which can be drawn from these surveys is that European Union parents overestimate their level of knowledge about how to protect their children online. In addition, the large differences we can see between children’s and parents’ use of new media, adds to an increased variety of an enlarged European Union of 25 member states.

• 15 Member States Report
• 10 new Member States Report
• Annex
• EU-25 comparative highlights

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