CYBER THREATS TO CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS – THE ROLE OF FAMILY IN ENSURING DIGITAL SAFETY
Grzegorz Paweł Świecarz · Zeszyty Naukowe SGSP · 2025
This article addresses the issue of cyber threats to children and adolescents in the context of theireveryday online activity. It explores the phenomenon and the most common forms of risk, such asharmful online content, cyberbullying, exposure to pornography, sexting, and emotionalmanipulation. Special attention is given to the role of the family in safeguarding the digital safety ofyoung users. Referring to B. Harwas-Napierała’s concept of parental competence, the importance ofparental engagement, communication and trust-based relationships is emphasized. The empiricalsection presents the results of a study conducted among high school students regarding theirexperiences with online threats and their perception of parental attitudes and protective strategies.The findings indicate a significant correlation between parental behaviours and children’s sense ofdigital safety and highlight the need to support families in the process of digital education.