There is lots of good research about emerging online harms. By keeping up to date and informed about this research we are better equipped to address online harms and make the internet a safer place for tamariki and rangatahi.
Online safety
There is an extensive range of data and research available about personal online safety practices by New Zealand parents and caregivers. Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs created a report that drew on this existing literature to gain a greater understanding about parents and caregivers knowledge of their children’s online experience.
Netsafe and Global Kids Online have completed a number of reports including New Zealand children's exposure to harmful online content such as violence and self-harm. They have also explored the impact content has on children and the strategies employed by caregivers to mediate their children’s experiences of online harm.
- New Zealand children’s experiences of online risks and their perceptions of harm, 2020(external link)
- The digital parenting strategies and behaviours of New Zealand parents, 2021(external link)
Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs, alongside Ministry of Education, Network for Learning and Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office, developed a pilot trial to test block page designs effectiveness. The trial provided young people in secondary schools with information, tools and resources about accessing pornography online, having healthy relationships and where to get help and support for online harms.
Pornography
The UK Children's Commissioner has recently released a series of reports exploring the impact of pornography on children. The reports include findings from a survey of over a thousand 16-21-year-olds and highlights the detrimental effect that pornography is having on children and young people:
- ‘A lot of it is actually just abuse’ Young people and pornography, January 2023(external link)
- Evidence on pornography’s influence on harmful sexual behaviour among children, May 2023(external link)
Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office conducted 50 interviews with young people aged 14-17 years old to understand their exposure to pornography and the impact it has.
Misinformation
Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office surveyed 2,000 16 year old's in New Zealand about the growing spread of misinformation and the harm it is causing our communities.
Child sexual exploitation
We Protect Global Alliance and Praesidio Safeguarding conducted qualitative research among 13-17 year old's on the issue of ‘self-generated’ sexual material in three different country contexts – Ghana, Thailand and Ireland. The paper explores their views on how and why ‘self-generated’ sexual materials are shared, how individuals respond to the issue and how our responses can be improved.