An Exploration of How Children Can Be Proactive for Their Own Digital Privacy and Security in the Perspective of North-Eastern Bangladesh

In this study, using interviews and a game-based survey, we explored how children, along with their parents and instructors, might share certain duties and practices to protect them from online safety hazards. Initially, semi-structured interviews were carried out with a limited number of children (n = 48), and based on the findings, survey questionnaires were constructed, and eventually, a game-based Android application was produced, through which 383 children of Sylhet (a north-eastern city of Bangladesh) provided responses. The responses were analyzed, and it was determined that certain online behaviors of children, such as chatting and sharing with strangers, sharing photos on social media, downloading or purchasing without parental consent, and sharing digital passwords with peers, make them susceptible and insecure against various types of cyber-attacks. We have also examined how children may establish a safer online environment for themselves by avoiding issues that compromise their privacy and security online, by discussing their cyber-activities with their parents, and by receiving proper instruction on online safety.