Threats to digital safety of young people in the light of research

Abstract

PURPOSE: This article aims to indicate the threats posed by the violation of digital security among young people with the presentation of research on cyber aggression occurring among adolescents in Szczecin secondary schools.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The article uses a diagnostic survey method and a research technique in the form of a questionnaire. Based on a specially prepared survey sheet, data were obtained and processed in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The survey’s subject was cyberbullying as perceived by high school students from urban areas.

FINDINGS: The surveys carried out do not give a clear picture regarding the awareness of students of Szczecin high schools of cyber aggression. They are only an attempt to determine the scale of the problem and require further verification. However, the data obtained show that the phenomenon of cyber aggression is widespread and known to teenagers.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The article contains a lot of valuable information that can serve as background material and a reference for further research by scientific specialists studying cyberbullying issues among students or institutions helping victims of online violence.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Electronic aggression, called cyberbullying, is a serious problem among teenagers. Modern technological solutions such as the Internet and cell phones are tools whose use exposes students to a new form of violence called cyberbullying or electronic violence. Along with traditional violence, it represents a new variety of problem behaviour among young people. The presence of this phenomenon raises periodic interest in the media. Nonetheless, it has become a socially essential and cognitively interesting area for scientific research.