Children Webbed in the Cyber Network: an Exploratory Study on Children’s Cyber Behavior and Cyber Laws

Abstract

With the IT Revolution, Cyber world has become a part of kid’s natural environment. Though the computer and the internet provide fantastic opportunities for socially beneficial endeavors-such as education, research, commerce and entertainment, at the same time they serve as tools to facilitate illegal activity. Often children see their own ability to defeat technological limitations and controls as a way to show up their parents and teachers, or as a badge of honor and subject to brag about among their friends both offline and online. Legal issues pertaining to the need to protect children and youth online are now being considered to a larger extend since the hidden risk raise a potential threat to the well being of young generation. There is also the risk that a child could engage in some negative legal or financial consequences or committing a cybercrime. The present study is focused on explaining cyber behavior of children and also exploring various cyber laws to protect the rights of children online. The data was collected using interview and self-report method. The qualitative research design was employed to analyze the data. The study reflected a greater need for children’s online protection, stressed on the problems children encounter in the cyber world as well as provided insight into the prevailing cyber laws.