New Delhi:
More than 50 percent of Indian children, who surf the internet, get threatened or are harassed online, a Microsoft study has found.
According to Microsoft's 'Global Youth Online Behavior Survey', India ranked third among 25 countries with 53 per cent of respondents (aged 8-17) saying they have been bullied online. India is only behind China (70 per cent) and Singapore (58 per cent).
Other countries that took part in the survey were Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, the UAE, the UK and the US. More than 7,600 children aged 8 to 17 years took part. The survey focused on how children treat one another online and whether parents are addressing their online behaviour.
About 45 per cent of parents (respondents) said they teach their children online manners.
The survey showed that about 38 per cent of the schools (attended by respondents) have formal policies on cyber bullying.
"Protecting children from online bullying is a shared responsibility. Everyone plays a role: parents, educators, school counsellors, coaches, online safety advocates, industry, law enforcement, government and children themselves," Microsoft Director (Trustworthy Computing) Jacqueline Beauchere said.
Globally, the survey indicated that while children want to talk to parents about the issue, only 29 per cent of the children said their parents have talked to them about protecting themselves online.
The survey said it was important for adults (parents and school) to discuss the issue with the children and provide guidance on how to identify and respond to a range of online behaviour.