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- Children want more parental involvement in identifying what is real or fake online (52%) and staying happy and healthy online (49%)
- Children want more autonomy in the areas of screen time (41%), social media and gaming (27%)
- Children are more likely to discuss positive experiences online, than negative – 78% of children feel either “very” or “somewhat” comfortable discussing positive online experiences with their parents. This drops to 53% for comfort in discussing negative online experiences
Barnardos Online Safety Programme has released an in-depth report: Parent and Carer Involvement in the Online World of Children. The report, based on surveys and focus groups with 450 children (aged 10-14) and 320 parents and carers, explores how parental involvement is experienced in children’s online lives. The report found that children want more support and autonomy, and are more comfortable discussing positive than negative experiences online.
Further findings highlighted a difference between parents’ perception of their involvement and what children experience, particularly around communication, parental confidence, and control. The report highlights the gap between communication and participation – while 56% of parents said they talk to their children ‘very often’ about their online experiences, only 15% report actively engaging in online activities. 52% of children said their parents ‘never’ or ‘not too often’ join in their online activities.
Children expressed a desire for more guidance from parents in areas such identifying what is real or fake online, staying happy and healthy online and online shopping, but they would like more autonomy with managing screen time, social media and gaming.
“Sharing one of my favourite new games I’d bought felt like I was sharing a part of myself with them and it was exciting.” Girl aged 14
The report was undertaken as part of the Barnardos Online Safety Programme to help inform its work with children, parents and teachers. Since 2019, the Barnardos Online Safety Programme, with support from Google.org, has reached 100,000 children in more than 1000 schools.
Niamh McLoughlin, Barnardos Online Safety Programme Co-Ordinator, said:
“Children feel safer and more supported with active parental involvement in their online lives. For this involvement to be truly effective, parents require confidence in their role and need to know how to adapt their engagement as their children grow. The rapid pace of technological change highlights the need for more accessible support from trusted sources. While rules and monitoring are important, measures that prioritise shared experiences and partnership may be more effective for fostering long term digital resilience.”
Barnardos recommends the following actions:
For Parents: Move beyond monitoring for greater understanding of the digital world, both risks and benefits. If your child is spending time online, try to spend time with them. Explore their favourite apps and games together to build trust, open communication and comfort in discussing positive and negative experiences.
For Government: Develop and support central, regularly updated resources on online safety that offer practical tools, promote ongoing education, and share best practices on new technologies for parents and all stakeholders to stay informed and connected in an easy and accessible way.
ENDS
Note to editor:
- Barnardos Online safety Report: Parent and Carer Involvement in the Online World of Children
- Methodology –Barnardos used a combined approach to gathering information for this consultation report, using both qualitative focus groups and a quantitative survey. Surveys were completed by 450 children and 350 parent/carers. 64 students participated in 7 focus groups in 5 different schools around Ireland over May and June 2025. For more information on methodology visit page 7 of the report.
- Learn more about Barnardos Online Safety Programme: www.barnardos.ie/osp
