[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On International Children's Rights Day on 20 November 2020, and as the French people experience a new period of lockdown, the e-Enfance Association has released a survey on digital usage and cyberviolence, conducted among teenagers (aged 10-19) and their parents during the first lockdown last May.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Cette enquête réalisée par OpinionWay pour l’Association e-Enfance (reconnue d’utilité publique), la référence pour la protection des mineurs sur Internet depuis 2005, démontre que la période du confinement de mars à mai 2020 a davantage impacté la tranche d’âge des 10-15 ans (collégiens).
A more marked increase in digital usage among 10-15 year olds
Parents placed few restrictions on their children's use of digital devices, who spent more time on screens than usual. This behaviour was even more pronounced among secondary school pupils (aged 10-15), who nearly half of them (48 %) acknowledge that their parents were less strict. Teenagers have used digital technology not only for recreational purposes, as usual, but also for educational purposes (7 out of 10 teenagers had access to a virtual classroom or online forums for chatting with their classmates). They say that using social media was mainly a reassuring way for them to stay in touch with their friends.
Cyberbullying in teenagers' virtual classrooms
Nevertheless 8 % for adolescents who had access to virtual classrooms witnessed cyberbullying in these new spaces for interaction.
On the parents' side, among the online problems frequently experienced by teenagers during lockdown, they mention cyberviolence with a prevalence of insults and one explosion of online scams targeting minors (22 % vs 7 % outside confinement).
The main reasons cited by young victims of cyberviolence regarding their perpetrators are jealousy and physical appearance. On the other hand, they mention less often the revenge than in normal times (8 % vs 22 %), but much more so anger (21 % vs 13 %); in addition to the boredom caused by lockdown, the period had a negative impact on young people's mood.
For 90% of adolescents who are victims of this online violence, Their first instinct is to talk about it, mainly with their parents. A new development during lockdown is that many more than usual have talked about it on social media. forums (10 % vs. 2 % outside confinement).
Samuel Comblez, Child and Adolescent Psychologist and Director of Operations at the e-Enfance Association, analyses this trend: «Teenagers need to interact with their peers, particularly to reinforce their sense of belonging to a community outside the family unit, which they need to distance themselves from in order to develop. During lockdown, the lack of space encouraged young people to turn more towards these online communities. Forums are great places for experimentation, allowing young people to assert themselves and stand out while conforming to the group whose values they share.»
Impact on future usage by teenagers more pronounced among 10-15 year olds
A quarter of secondary school pupils (aged 10–15) are considering changing their behaviour with regard to their digital habits and social media use following lockdown, in particular reducing their screen time, with a lower proportion among secondary school pupils (aged 15-19) (19 % vs 26 %). Their parents are also more likely than those of high school students to share this desire to reduce their teenagers« screen time following the »overload" experienced during lockdown.
However, as a sign that digital habits developed during lockdown have become a permanent feature of family life, Half of parents do not plan to change the rules, and 10% will even be more tolerant.
Social relationships more affected for 10-15 year olds
Nearly one-third of secondary school pupils (aged 10–15) feel that they have grown apart from their friends during lockdown, twice as many as secondary school pupils (aged 15-19) (30 % vs 16 %). At the same time, nearly half (45 %) acknowledge that the period brought them closer to their parents (vs. 38 % of secondary school students).
Justine Atlan, Managing Director of the e-Enfance Association, comments : « Unsurprisingly, lockdown has increased our digital usage. It has also encouraged a new dialogue between parents and their children about the internet, social media and video games. It has also restored value to the family unit. During this second lockdown, we must remain attentive to our teenagers» need to interact with their peers, particularly those aged 10-15 who are still developing their relationships with others. This can make them more vulnerable, especially in the virtual world.»
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Summary of the study «Digital usage and online violence during lockdown» among 10-19 year olds and their parents
e-Enfance Association / OpinionWay (May 2020)
Survey conducted from 11 to 18 May 2020 among 1,005 parents and their teenagers 550 secondary school pupils aged 10-15, 455 sixth form pupils aged 15-19.
The sample is representative of this population in terms of gender, age, and region of the adolescents.
DIGITAL USE ON THE RISE FOR 80% OF TEENAGERS AND RELAXATION OF FAMILY RULES ACCORDING TO 42% OF THEM
74 % of parents admit that their child has spent more time to use digital devices during lockdown. This trend is confirmed by teenagers themselves, 78% of whom say they have spent more hours in front of screens.
The three main reasons The activities mentioned are (i) «watching videos» 67 % (recreational use), (ii) «doing research for classes» 62 % (educational use), (iii) «sending private messages via social media» 50 % (socialising use). High school students estimate that they have spent more time on social media, with a score of 56 %.
Parents have placed few restrictions on the use of digital devices. of their children: according to their teenagers, they are 42 % for having been less strict ; a higher proportion among secondary school pupils
10-15 years (48 %); and for 47 % teenagers, parents have not changed the rules.
7 out of 10 teenagers had access to a virtual classroom or online forums for discussion with their peers, particularly at secondary school (15-19 years old).
EXPLOSION OF ONLINE SCAMS
Nearly 10% of adolescents who had access to virtual classrooms witnessed cyberbullying behaviour in these new spaces for interaction.
According to parents, the most common problems encountered are cyberviolence (47 %) and mainly insults. In a new development, their children were much more often victims of online scams, which have skyrocketed: 22 during lockdown vs. 7 outside of lockdown.
The reasons cited by victims of online violence remain primarily physical appearance and jealousy/envy (most frequently cited). New development: fall of vengeance (8 % vs. 22 % outside confinement) and increase in anger (21 % vs 13 % outside lockdown).
The primary reason cited by authors who posted, shared, or liked an insulting comment was always «just for fun» (29 %). New: social pressure is decreasing, as «doing what others do» has fallen from 26% to 9%.
For 90% of adolescents who are victims of this online violence, their first instinct is always to talk about it extensively with their parents. What is new is that many more of them have discussed it on forums (10 % vs. 2 % outside confinement).
The increased desire to interact with peers, particularly when confronted with a risk on the Internet, can be explained by the fact that:
ONE THIRD OF 10-15 YEAR OLDS HAVE DISTANCED THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FRIENDS
30 % secondary school pupils (aged 10–15) feel that they have drifted apart from their friends, twice as much as secondary school pupils (aged 15–19) (16 %).
For 4 out of 10 teenagers, This period has also brought them closer to their parents. This feeling of closeness to the family is also more prevalent among middle school pupils than high school pupils (45% vs. 38%).
PARENTS UNDERESTIMATE THEIR CHILDREN'S ABILITY TO BE PERPETRATORS OF CYBERVIOLENCE
They consistently underestimate their children's capacity to perpetrate online violence: their children are Three times more likely to report having committed cyberbullying than their projections (12 % for teenagers vs. 4 % for parents).
They partially identify the reasons that drive adolescents to engage in online violence: they believe they often act out of social conformity.
SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY TEENAGERS: STRICTER PENALTIES
To combat online violence, prevention and sanctions are equally important in the eyes of teenagers. More than half (56% %) recommend stricter penalties.
AND AFTER LOCKDOWN? A QUARTER OF 10-15 YEAR OLDS WANT TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS
A quarter of secondary school pupils (10-15 years old) (26 %) plan to change their behaviour with regard to their digital habits and social media use following lockdown, while a smaller proportion of secondary school pupils (15-19 years old) (19 %) plan to do so.
These teenagers who are calling for change want, in particular, reduce time spent on screens and social media (70 %) even remove certain social networks for 29 % of them.
50 % Parents are not going to change the rules., proof that these practices have become firmly established in families' daily lives. 10 % will even make them more flexible.
Parents of secondary school pupils (aged 10-15) are close to half (45 %) want to reduce their use of digital equipment for their children following excessive screen time during lockdown (vs. 29% of parents of secondary school pupils aged 15–19).
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Press Contacts
Gaëlle de Montoussé – +44 (0)7 09 77 51 04 – g.demontousse@e-enfance.org
Sandra Tricot – +44 (0)6 65 85 85 65 – stricot@kbzcorporate.com
About the e-Enfance Association
Recognised as being of public utility, the e-Enfance Association has been the benchmark for child protection on the Internet and digital citizenship education since 2005. Approved by the French Ministry of Education, it offers interventions in schools, training on the risks and proper use of the Internet, and operates the Net Ecoute helpline for young victims of cyber violence and their parents, and for combating cyberbullying.
Free, anonymous, and confidential, Net Listening 0800 200 000 is the national toll-free number specialising in the protection of minors on the Internet. It is the only alert system directly linked to social networks, the «Pharos» platform of the National Police and the «Brigade numérique» of the National Gendarmerie, and the 119-Enfance en danger helpline. www.netecoute.fr[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title= »Télécharger le communiqué de presse » color= »primary » align= »center » link= »url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.e-enfance.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FCP_e-Enfance_Etude-confinementmai2020.pdf|target:_blank »][/vc_column][/vc_row]
