Parents were today urged to keep a closer watch on their children's use of computers after research showed most were "oblivious" to illicit online activity of their sons and daughters.
The study revealed that one in five young people had met up with someone they encountered on the internet.
Only 7% of 500 parents surveyed by online identity firm Garlik said they were aware that their children were contacting people online and then meeting them.
The study of 500 children aged between eight and 15 showed that two out of five regularly visited websites banned by their parents and many gave out personal information with parental consent.
Most online activity included playing games, researching homework and chatting with friends, but a minority admitted to having contact with complete strangers.
Tom Ilube, chief executive of Garlik, said: "Our research is a shocking wake-up call to all parents in the UK to sit down with their children and talk about how to keep safe online.
"The web is a wonderful place to explore but young people continue to make themselves vulnerable by not applying the same caution online as they would in person."
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