Online Risk Awareness and Safety Needs of Children: A Zimbabwean Perspective
Keywords:
Digital literacy; online predators; safe internet environment; safe surfingAbstract
Given growing concerns about exposure to online risks, this study investigates children’s risk awareness and online safety needs in Zimbabwe. The research focuses on assessing factors influencing children’s awareness of online dangers and examining how demographic factors impact the perceived need for online safety education. While prior studies emphasise, the tangible risks posed by online interactions and the role of digital literacy, limited research has addressed these challenges within Zimbabwe’s context. This study builds on existing research to bridge the gap by providing localized insights. Data was collected through structured questionnaires administered to 2,617 children aged 8 to 18 across Zimbabwe’s ten provinces. Analytical methods included chi-square tests, logit regression and analysis of variance. Key findings indicate that older children and frequent Internet users are more aware of online risks. They also highlighted that meeting online friends in person significantly increases their exposure to harm. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and parents to craft effective interventions, including targeted safety education and enhanced regulatory frameworks for safer online environments. This study contributes to understanding online risk awareness and safety needs among Zimbabwean children.
References
Allison, K. (2018). Online Risks, Sexual Behaviors, and Mobile Technology Use in Early Adolescent Children: Parental Awareness, Protective Practices, and Mediation Early Adolescent Children. University of South Carolina
Child Rights International Network (CRIN). (2019). Children’s rights and the digital environment: A global overview. Retrieved from https://www.crin.org/en/library/publications/childrens-rights-and-digital-environment-global-overview.
Chingoriwo, T. (2022). Cybersecurity challenges and needs in the context of digital development in Zimbabwe. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 3(2), 77-104.
Dzingirayi, P. & Musemburi, L. (2023). The Quality of Secondary School-based Counselling Services in Contemporary Digitalised Learning Environment in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Journal of Health Sciences (ZJHS), 3(2).
Dzoro, J., Chereni, A., & Gwenzi, G. D. (2019). Internet risks and teenage children’s agency: A case of post-primary students at a school in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. African Journal of Social Work, 9(2), 87-96.
Global Internet Report 2022: The Future of the Internet. (2022). Internet Society. Retrieved from https://www.internetsociety.org/globalinternetreport.
Green, A., Wilkins, C., & Wyld, G. (2019). Keeping Children Safe Online. New Philanthropy Capital.
Hawkins, R. (2017). The Relationship Between Teacher-Student Assignment and High School Student Equity in One North Carolina School District. Dissertation paper for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School.
Lee, A. & Cook, P. (2014). The conditions of exposure and immediacy: Internet surveillance and Generation Y. Journal of Sociology, 51(3).
Livingstone, S., Davidson, J., Bryce, J., Batool, S., Haughton, C., & Nandi, A. (2017). Children’s online activities, risks and safety: A literature review by the UKCCIS Evidence Group. ResearchGate.
Mabvurira, V. & Machimbidza, D. (2022). Cyberbullying among high school learners in Zimbabwe: Motives and effects. African Journal of Social Work, 12(3), 98-107.
Moyo, A., Tsokota, T., Ruvinga, C., & Chipfumbu Kangara, C. T. (2022). An e-safety framework for secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 27(4), 1133-1153.
Muhingi, W. N., Mavole, J. N., & Nzau, M. (2020). Stakeholders Awareness Creation on Online Child Abuse among Primary School Children in Langata Sub Country, Nairobi County, Kenya. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 4(3), 210-213.
Mutunhu, B., Dube, S., Ncube, N., & Sibanda, S. (2022, April). Cyber security awareness and education framework for Zimbabwe universities: A case of National University of Science and Technology. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Nsukka, Nigeria, pp. 5-7.
Quayyum, F., Cruzes, D. S., & Jaccheri, L. (2021). Cybersecurity awareness for children: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 30(2).
Tsokota, T., Mhloza, V., & Chipfumbu-Kangara, C. T. (2022). A strategy to enhance e-safety among first-year students at Zimbabwean universities: action research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(2), 639-655.
UNICEF. (2021). The State of the World’s Children 2021: On My Mind - Promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-worlds-children-2021.
Yujin, J. & Ko, B. (2023). Online Safety for Children and Youth under the 4Cs Framework—A Focus on Digital Policies in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Children, 10(8).
Yuliana, Y. (2022). The Importance of Cybersecurity Awareness for Children. Lampung Journal of International Law, 4(1), 41-48.
Zimbabwe Report. (2020). Global Kids Online. Retrieved from https://globalkidsonline.net/zimbabwe.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Maxwell Sandada, Gift Kalisto Machengete, Cryford Mhaka, Felicity Kaseke
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The author fully assumes the content originality and the holograph signature makes him responsible in case of trial.
