About the project

This ‘thematic network’ has 33 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus. the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK, as well as affiliates in Australia, Brazil and Chile. 

Given the accumulated expertise of the network and its eminent role as an actor providing solid empirical evidence for multi-stakeholder processes on the European as well as on the national level, the network decided to continue the network activities and to conduct a second representive survey on children and online risks and opportunies to expand the evidence on international level. For this, the network (Livingstone, Mascheroni and Staksrud 2015) has elaborated a revised version of the theoretical framework for research on children’s online experiences. The network also continues to update the EU Kids Online public database, documenting and coding recent and updated evidence about children’s use of new media across Europe. Furthermore, EU Kids Online members initiate new collaborative cross-national projects on special topics (e.g. young children and online use, cyberbullying etc.). Findings are published in EU Kids Online short reports and disseminated within national, European and international research forums and among national, European and international stakeholders. Thematic reports cover experiences with sexual content, mobile opportunities, a qualitative study of young children (0-8) and digital technology, how parents of very young children manage digital devices, internet safety helplines and parental controls.

This ‘thematic network’ consisted of 33 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus. the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK, as well as affiliates in Australia and Brazil. 

The network updated and extended the European Evidence Database, including a summary in English of key findings and an update on research patterns and gaps. It also updated the methodological Frequently Asked Questions and reported on innovative methods for research with children. Thematic reports addressed disadvantaged families, a comparative analysis of internet safety policy implementation, preventive measures, the internet use of young children, excessive internet use, country classification, coping and resilience, evidence for industry and regulation, children’s own accounts of risk, national perspectives, internet use on smartphones, children's changing online experiences in a longitudinal perspective, comparative findings from EU Kids Online and Net Children Go Mobile and a summary of findings, methods and recommendations. The final empirical project was a cross-national qualitative study of the meaning of problematic situations for children.

See here for further information.

This ‘knowledge enhancement’ project included 25 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK.

The main focus was a survey of children and parents to produce original, rigorous data on their internet use, risk experiences and safety mediation. This aimed to (i) produce new, relevant, robust and comparable findings regarding the incidence of online risk among European children; (ii) pinpoint which children are particularly at risk and why, by examining vulnerability factors (at both individual and country levels); and (iii) examine the operation and effectiveness of parental regulation and awareness strategies, and children's own coping responses to risk, including their media literacy.

A random stratified sample of 25,142 children aged 9-16 who use the internet, plus one of their parents, was interviewed during Spring/Summer 2010 in 25 European countries. The survey investigated key online risks: pornography, bullying, receiving sexual messages, contact with people not known face-to-face, offline meetings with online contacts, potentially harmful user-generated content and personal data misuse. In addition to a report of the full findings, the network produced a series of thematic reports on parenting, bullying, patterns of risk and safety, disadvantaged children, risky opportunities, social networking and digital skills. Country comparisons and policy recommendationscompleted the analysis, all encapsulated in the final report. Further information.

This was a ‘thematic network’ of multidisciplinary researchers in 21 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The key questions were: What research exists and what research is still needed? What risks exist, for which technologies, and in relation to which groups of children? How do social, cultural and regulatory influences affect the incidence and experience of, and the responses to, different risks? In accounting for current and ongoing research, and anticipating future research, what factors shape the research capability of European research institutions and networks?

The network identified relevant research to create a publicly accessible database of evidence on children’s use of the internet in Europe. On this basis, we identified research gaps and compared findings across countries to draw conclusions regarding internet risks and safety. To build research capacity, the network critically examined the methodological issues involved in studying children and the internet cross-culturally and generated a Best Practice Guide for researchers. To contextualise this field of research, our next reportexamined the intellectual, social, institutional and funding regimes across Europe. Finally, the network developed evidence-based policy recommendations for raising awareness, media literacy and other practical actions to promote safer use of the internet for children. All this work was brought together in our final report for stakeholders and an academic book. Further information.