A third of children have encountered dangers on the internet but parents are disregarding the hazards and failing to educate them.
Some 35pc of children in the UK have come across dangers online, increasing to 40pc of teenagers, online security company AVG Technologies found.
Eight per cent had met or talked with strangers online.
However, a quarter of all parents have no plans to educate their children about online risks, increasing to 62pc with 13 to 16-year-olds.