Research updates

Online risks and harm: lessons from New Zealand

17th February 2020

Netsafe’s latest research provides insights into New Zealand children’s experience of online risks and their perceptions of harm. It’s the second report from Ngā taiohi matihiko o Aotearoa – New Zealand Kids Online, Netsafe’s implementation of the Global Kids Online methodology.

Global Kids Online New Zealand

11th February 2020

Netsafe is working to bring the Global Kids Online methodology to Aotearoa, New Zealand. Netsafe has a statutory role under New Zealand’s Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA) to resolve complaints from victims and provide educational content and services. Participation in Global Kids Online aims to support this role and to contribute to Netsafe’s efforts to maximise digital opportunities for New Zealand’s internet users and prevent online harm.

Setting the global research agenda for the new decade

11th February 2020

The Global Kids Online network continues to generate new findings, as more country partners join and extend the cross-national research effort. For the international Safer Internet Day 2020 we reflect on the lessons learned from recent research and think about the research agenda for the new decade.

Influencing policy and practice, building global understanding and action

8th January 2020

We commissioned an independent evaluation to understand the ways in which Global Kids Online research has been taken up and used in partner countries and internationally. The study found that Global Kids Online research findings are regarded as the premier resource on children’s experiences online, both in partner countries and by international stakeholders and influencers. The research has been used extensively to influence policy and practice in nine partner countries, to build global understanding and action, and to influence international debate and action.

Serbia: children rarely do creative activities online

9th December 2019

Children begin to use the internet at a young age and in a personalised way – from their own mobile devices and away from parental supervision, which has important policy and practice implications, according to a new EU Kids Online report on Serbian children’s internet use launched today. The survey with 1,150 internet-using children aged 9-17 years from 60 schools across the country was co-funded by the University of Oslo, UNICEF and OSCE Serbia, as well as the Serbian Ministries of Education and Telecommunications.

Brazil: mobile-only internet use grows

5th December 2019

The 7th edition of the ICT Kids Online Brazil survey was recently launched by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br). Drawing on a nationally representative survey with 2,964 internet-using children aged 9 to 17 and one of their parents, the Brazilian study is the longest-running in the Global Kids Online network with annual waves since 2012.

Should we include more digital technologies in teaching?

7th November 2019

Montenegro is the first Global Kids Online country to produce comparable data on digital skills including children, parents and teachers. A national survey conducted by Ipsos, supported by UNICEF and Telenor, found that almost all teachers (94%) in Montenegrin primary and secondary schools use the internet on a daily basis. Educators tend to have better digital skills than children and parents. While teachers agree that the use of technologies improves the quality of education, many struggle to integrate diverse ways of using digital media in the learning process.

The online lives of New Zealand kids

30th September 2019

Netsafe’s latest research uncovers important insights about New Zealand children’s experiences online and their skills in navigating these online experiences. The report, the first to study online experiences of nine to 17 year old New Zealand children, found Kiwi kids are making the most of online opportunities for entertainment, learning and socialising.

Children’s rights and resilience in the digital world

24th September 2019

The Sydney eSafety 2019 conference saw policy makers, researchers and practitioners from different fields and countries come together to discuss how to improve children’s digital lives. Our presentation on Global Kids Online (GKO) provided a foretaste of our 11 country comparative findings report, and the insights gleaned from an independent evaluation report of GKO impact in our partner countries. Both reports will be published in the coming few months – watch this space.