Privacy notice: Research on cyberbullying among children and young people
About this privacy notice
This privacy notice sets out how we will process information from everyone who takes part in this research. In line with UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it explains the legal basis of this study for data processing; who will have access to participants’ personal data; how this data will be used, stored and deleted; and how to submit a query or a complaint.
If you would like to know more about the research, what taking part will involve, or how to contact the research team, please see the information sheet given to you with this privacy notice, or visit our study webpage at natcen.ac.uk/cyberbullying.
The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and Ofcom are joint data controllers for this project. NatCen is leading the research on behalf of Ofcom.
What is the legal basis for processing my data?
For the use of personal data to be lawful, we need to satisfy one or more conditions in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as set out in Article 6(1). For this project, the condition that we are meeting is consent.
Special category data is personal data that needs more protection because it is sensitive. In order to lawfully process special category data, we need to identify both a lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR and a separate condition for processing under Article 9. The special category data we will be processing during this study is ethnicity and health. If relevant to a participant’s experience, we may also collect and process data on sexual orientation and/or religious beliefs. Our lawful basis for processing this special category data is explicit consent. Should other types of special category data be shared during participation, this will be deleted.
Who will have access to my personal data?
NatCen is carrying out this research and will have access to names, contact details and (if relevant) job role information (where permission has been given to share these). NatCen will also have access to audio recordings and transcripts of interviews and focus groups.
McGowan Transcriptions transcribe our interviews and focus groups. Where transcription is required, they will have access to recordings and transcripts from interviews. McGowan Transcriptions is on our approved supplier list and compliant with all our information security policies.
Our partners The Diana Award and Anti-Bullying Alliance will have access to names and contact details for schools and potential participants for whom they support recruitment. They will not have access to any other personal data, including any special category data or interview recordings or transcripts.
Ofcom will not have access to any personal data, recordings or transcripts. Rather, NatCen will provide a written report to the Ofcom that presents thematic findings from the research. The report may include some verbatim quotations, but no identifiable information will be included.
No personal data will be shared with any other organisation unless a research participant discloses harm or a serious risk of harm to themselves or somebody else they identify.
How will my data be used?
The results collected are used for research purposes only. All data that has been collected is handled in accordance with GDPR. The information you provide will be used to write research outputs (such as published and internal reports and presentations). The findings will be anonymised and we will not include the names of individuals or organisations in the research outputs.
Where will my personal data be stored?
All personal data are stored securely, in line with international best practice and NatCen’s ISO27001, ISO 20252 and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications. Identifiable data will be stored by NatCen for 12 months from the end of the project (which we expect to be by 30th June 2024) and then securely destroyed.
Can I change my mind?
Yes. If you take part in an individual interview, you are able to withdraw your contribution by contacting the research team at any point up to two weeks after an interview. If you take part in a paired interview or focus group, you will be free to withdraw participation up until the discussion begins. You can also skip questions you prefer not to answer or stop at any time.
Please note that once our findings have been shared outside of the research team, we would not be able to change the results by removing individual information. You can request that your personal data held by us be deleted or updated and we will let you know immediately if this is possible or not.
If you want to review, verify, correct, or request erasure of your personal information; object to the processing of your personal data; or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact the study team at cyberbullying@natcen.ac.uk
Who can I contact with a query or a complaint?
We would welcome the opportunity of discussing the research with you to address any concerns directly. Please do feel free to contact us if you have any questions – at cyberbullying@natcen.ac.uk or 0808 168 2791.
If you believe we have not complied with your data protection rights, you can contact us at dpo@natcen.ac.uk.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office on 0303 123 1113, at https://ico.org.uk/concerns, or at Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.