15.8% of Jordanian children experience digital abuse - study

AMMAN — A recent study by Save the Children Jordan revealed that 15.8 per cent of children aged 10 to 17 have experienced some form of digital abuse, where cyberbullying, account hacking and blackmail were identified as the most common threats.

The study, titled “Behind the Screens: Safety in Digital Spaces for Children aged 10–17 in Jordan”, was released ahead of World Children’s Day on November 20. 

It highlighted a "concerning" gap in parental awareness, with 75 per cent of parents unaware that their children had been subjected to online abuse.

According to the findings, the use of parental control tools is alarmingly low, with only 9 per cent of parents utilising such applications, while the majority rely on educating their children about safe online practices and supervising their activities.

“A total of 76.7 per cent of children aged 10–17 access the Internet daily, with usage rising to 86.5 per cent among 16–17-year-olds. Gender differences were minimal,” Save the Children Jordan said in a statement to The Jordan Times.

The statement noted that while many parents prioritise teaching safe online habits, only 7.8 per cent take proactive measures like blocking inappropriate websites, and 57.4 per cent rely on their children for help navigating the Internet.

The study also highlighted a gap between parents’ understanding of digital violence and the realities their children face online.

One mother interviewed for the study said: “Though we live under the same roof, our children are living in their virtual world, isolated from us, unlike our childhood when families lived in a world free of electronic devices.”

The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from surveys of 1,510 children aged 10–17 and 750 parents from Amman, Irbid, Zarqa and Mafraq. 

Qualitative insights were gathered through 16 workshops with children and eight focus groups with parents and caregivers.

Save the Children Jordan announced plans for a press conference on December 3 to discuss the study’s findings and initiatives.