Pupils say social media sites fail to protect them from porn and bullying

Research by the NSPCC reveals that children aren't being shielded from inappropriate and dangerous content on social media sites.

Of 1,696 secondary school pupils surveyed, 81 per cent said that social media sites needed to do more to protect young users from inappropriate or harmful content.

In addition to this, four-in-five pupils said they do not think social media companies are doing as much as they can to protect them from pornography, bullying and self-harm.

Websites such as ASKfm, Omegle, IMVU, and Facebook were noted as the riskiest.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive commented: "Our research clearly shows that children do not feel that they are shielded from upsetting, dangerous, and adult content.

"It's vital parents know about their child's online world and regularly talk with their children about how to get help if they need it.

"We all know that the internet develops at breakneck speed and it can feel nearly impossible to keep up with all of the constantly changing sites, games, and apps that young people use. Net Aware does all the work for parents by updating them with information, risks, and issues on sites their children are using."