• The numbers, of young people not using the Internet, drop down to between 10%-20% in recent years

Youngsters not using the Internet

• With the increasing Internet accessibility it is important to guage what sort of supervision is being implemented
• The second chart shows a rising trend of young people who report browsing the Internet without adult supervision. The latest figures range from 60%-80%

Browsing the Internet without adult supervision

• More older than younger pupils have reported browsing without supervision
• There is little difference in the responses from older males and females. More younger males compared to younger females report Internet use without supervision
• News items continue to appear regarding young people accessing Internet 'chatrooms' and the associated potential dangers and subsequent risks of meeting undesirable adults. This is a major concern for parents and schools alike
• There is guidance for 'safe surfing' for parents and young people in a number of different publications, some of which is summarised in Mark Griffiths' article in Education and Health available on this website:- www.sheu.org.uk/publications/ehfreearticles.htm
• Figures from 'Young People into 2006' (below) show that around three-quarters of young people are able to browse the Internet at least sometimes without adult supervision. Slightly higher percentages of males than females are always able to browse the Internet without adult supervision

Are you able to 'browse' the Internet without adult supervision?