65 per cent of parents are concerned that their children are unprotected from mobile threats including bullying and inappropriate content, according to research from AdaptiveMobile. And its apparently the channel parents are most worried about – as 55 per cent say they have the the least control of mobile, over other channels including PCs and games consoles.

“Parents being unable to monitor their children’s mobile phone use is a real issue for them,”  says AdaptiveMobile COO and co-founder Gareth Maclachlan. “They want the peace-of-mind brought by giving phones to their children, but are fearful over the consequences of cyberbullying, unsolicited contact from strangers, and access to inappropriate content. Concern over these threats and specifically child safety and wellbeing is actually causing a quarter of parents not to give their children mobile phones; a real shame when you consider what a great tool for advancement and development they can be.”

95 per cent would like to use some form of control on their children’s smartphones, only 13 per cent of parents are actually using products for monitoring and controlling mobile usage.

When it comes to whos to blame, 89 per cent of parents feel its their duty to protect their children when using smartphones. But 26 per cent also believe the operator should be responsible – more than schools, the government, or handset manufacturers.