Perceptual Differences Between Parents and Children Regarding Digital Violence

The rapid digitalization of children’s lives has created both opportunities and serious online risks. This study examines how parents and children perceive digital violence—a broad concept encompassing non-physical but harmful online behaviors such as cyberbullying, online harassment, impersonation, and social exclusion. Although these acts lack physical force, they are conceptualized as forms of violence because they may cause psychological harm and social exclusion, consistent with internationally recognized definitions of violence that include physical, psychological, and social dimensions occurring both offline and online. The research involved 5054 students (grades 5–8) and 6309 parents from elementary schools in Vojvodina. Quantitative data were collected through parallel questionnaires exploring experiences, perceptions, and protective responses related to digital violence. Findings show that children report greater exposure than parents recognize, revealing a gap in parental awareness of online risks. Only a small proportion of parents reported incidents to schools or institutions; however, this refers to all respondents, not only those whose children experienced victimization. Thus, the data indicate limited exposure rather than parental inaction. The results highlight the need to strengthen digital literacy, parent–child communication, and school–family cooperation for safer online environments.