Online Safety a Growing Concern for Younger Children

Children Struggle to Report Negative Online Experiences

The survey highlights the barriers children face when discussing online challenges:

99.8% of teachers acknowledge that children encounter difficulties in reporting negative online experiences.

Top concerns include:

• Fear of friends finding out;

• Uncertainty about who to report to; and

• Belief that reporting won’t lead to change.

Helen Foulkes, Head of BBC Education, stresses the importance of supporting teachers in keeping children safe:"The survey reveals that primary-aged children face growing online challenges and often stay silent when encountering problems. BBC Teach provides essential resources to help educators address these issues and ensure children develop the skills to navigate the digital world safely."

A Censuswide survey commissioned by BBC Teach reveals that online safety is an increasing concern for primary school children, challenging the perception that it primarily affects teenagers.

Findings indicate that 80% of primary school teachers have encountered at least one safeguarding issue related to online safety in the past year. Additionally, 36% of teachers report a rise in such incidents within their schools.

Despite being a curriculum requirement across the UK, teaching 'safe use of technology' remains a challenge, with 98% of primary teachers finding it difficult to effectively educate students on online safety.

Challenges in Keeping Up with Online Safety

Additional survey insights include:

• 38% of teachers struggle to keep pace with emerging online scams.

The three biggest challenges in teaching online safety are:

1. Staying up to date with new risks.

2. Finding time in the school timetable.

3. Lacking confidence in discussing the topic.

• Teachers find AI-related safety issues particularly difficult to address due to a lack of suitable resources;

• 100% of respondents confirm that they include online safety in their lessons; and

• Of the 80% of teachers who had encountered safeguarding issues, nearly half (47%) had dealt with multiple incidents in the past year.

Industry Experts Call for Continued Support

Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet, highlights the urgency of equipping teachers with better resources:"Safer Internet Day is the UK’s biggest online safety initiative, and this survey provides valuable insights into the concerns of primary school teachers. We must continue working together to support young children in their online lives, ensuring teachers have access to practical, engaging, and up-to-date resources."

Survey Details

The survey was conducted by Censuswide from 3-11 December 2024, with 1,001 primary school teachers across the UK participating. This represents 0.3% of the UK’s total primary teacher population (290,954).

Handsam Resources

DA21 Understanding Data

DA18 A Guide to The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

DfE: Teaching Online Safety in Schools (2019)

Example Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy for Staff

Example Data Protection Policy for Pupils

Example Social Media PolicyExample Use of AI Policy