University of South Australia Media Release

When it comes to what people think about sharks, ‘Jaws’ has a lot to answer for. So while older generations shudder at the sound of the infamous two-note tuba alternation, what do younger generations think of sharks?

That’s exactly the question being asked by researchers at the University of South Australia. In a move to better understand why people fear sharks and how this fear might develop, researchers are looking to parents and carers or young children (aged 2-12) for new insights.

Lead researcher and shark expert, UniSA’s Dr Brianna Le Busque says there is barely any information about what children think of sharks.

“When you ask children what they know about sharks, you can get any number of replies – ‘they live in the ocean’, ‘they have sharp teeth’, or even ‘they eat bananas’ (yes, expect the unexpected) – but despite the immediate responses, there is very little empirical information,” Dr Le Busque says.

“We’re hoping that by talking with parents and children about what they know, feel, and think about sharks, we can establish how and when a fear of sharks might arise.

“Essentially, we’re questioning whether children innately fear sharks, or if this is a learnt behaviour over time, influenced by what they might see and hear around them?”

The team is now inviting parents and caregivers of young children aged 2-12 years old to participate in a short 10-minute online survey to find out what they and their children think about sharks. Children are also invited to draw a picture of a shark if they choose.

Over the past 50 years, 71% of oceanic shark populations have been depleted and one third of all shark species are now threatened with extinction.

“Through overfishing and illegal fishing, many shark species are at risk,” Dr Le Busque says.

“While conservation messages are important, it is extremely difficult to combat long-ingrained perceptions of sharks as ‘mindless eating machines’ which pose a ‘high-risk to humans’.

“Given the coverage that sharks receive on the screen – through movies, sensationalised human-shark interactions, and documentaries – it’s not surprising that sharks have a bad reputation.

“In reality, sharks pose little threat to humans – in fact, the odds of being killed by a shark in Australia are one in eight million.

“But changing perceptions is challenging. Finding out what children think and feel about sharks is just the starting point to a whole new approach to shark understanding.”