Teenage boys most monitored on Facebook

Parents are more protective of their sons online as teenage boys are more likely than girls to be monitored on Facebook.

That's according to a three-month study by antivirus provider Bitdefender, who says parents are 50% more likely to monitor the Facebook account of boys between the ages of 13 and 17 than girls of the same age.

In a study of over 1,600 volunteers Down Under, the data also shows the rate of monitoring spikes upward in the back-to-school season, when boys face an even greater level of scrutiny in comparison to girls.

During the month of September, boys are 60% more likely to have their Facebook accounts monitored than are girls.

"It may seem counterintuitive but our research shows parents are more protective of boys online than girls," says Catalin Cosoi, Bitdefender chief security researcher.

"This is possibly a result of the perception that boys engage in more risky behaviour online than girls.

"Cyber-bullying and cyber-baiting, a new trend that humiliates teachers through sharing of videos posted online, are also more commonly associated with masculine behaviour.

"At the same time, our data shows girls and women are more cautious about communicating with strangers on line, perhaps earning greater trust from their parents.

Were you monitored by your parents? Would you monitor your children? Tell us why below