The online world is vast – and while it can both educate and entertain kids for hours on end, there are murkier areas where they need to tread much more carefully.

New research from safety experts at McAfee has uncovered the most common online threats facing British children, including: cyberbullying, inappropriate contact and scams.

The study of over 4,300 parents found one in six say their child has been targeted by an online threat in the UK.

The highest risk group is 12-year-old boys, with almost a third (32%) being targeted.

For girls, online dangers tend to emerge later, with reports steadily climbing through the teens and peaking at age 16, where more than one in five parents (22%) say their daughter has been targeted.

What are the most common online threats facing children?

According to the research, cyberbullying or harassment from peers (48%) is the number one threat. Nearly half of UK parents say their child has experienced cyberbullying, while one in three (35%) ranking it in their top three worries.

Cyberbullying can include mean comments, exclusion from online groups or spreading harmful rumours, often through social media platforms.

Scams are also a huge problem – particularly fake social media giveaways or contests (33%), which purport to be giving away gaming consoles, smartphones or designer products.

Children are lured into clicking fraudulent links or........

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