Using results from this cross-cultural collaboration, we outline important research directions for understanding and assessing internet gaming disorder. As this field moves forward, it is critical that researchers and clinicians around the world begin to apply a common methodology; this report is the first to achieve an international consensus related to the assessment of internet gaming disorder.
Based on a state-wide representative school survey in Germany, endorsement of five or more criteria of DSM-5 internet gaming disorder (IGD) occurred in 1.16% of the students, and these students evidence greater impairment compared with non-IGD students. Symptoms related to 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' are most relevant for IGD diagnosis in this age group.
In this article, results of a German nationwide survey (KFN schools survey 2007/2008) are presented. The controlled sample of 44,610 male and female ninth-graders was carried out in 2007 and 2008 by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN). According to a newly developed screening instrument (KFN-CSAS-II), which was presented to every third juvenile participant (N = 15,168), 3% of the male and 0.3% of the female students are diagnosed as dependent on video games. The data indicate a clear dividing line between extensive gaming and video game dependency (VGD) as a clinically relevant phenomenon. VGD is accompanied by increased levels of psychological and social stress in the form of lower school achievement, increased truancy, reduced sleep time, limited leisure activities, and increased thoughts of committing suicide. In addition, it becomes evident that personal risk factors are crucial for VGD. The findings indicate the necessity of additional research as well as the respective measures in the field of health care policies.
Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is a social problem that remains vastly understudied compared with other forms of family violence. The aim of this study is to identify family and child risk and protective factors of CPV, and to investigate whether they differentially predict physical and verbal parent-directed violence among boys and girls. Predictors include parenting behavior during childhood (physical and verbal violence, warmth, monitoring) and respondents' individual characteristics (suicidal ideation, self-control, problematic substance use). Data were examined from a large representative sample of ninth graders ( N = 6,444) in Lower Saxony, Germany. Bivariate analyses showed that female adolescents were more likely to aggress verbally, while no gender differences were found for physical CPV. Multilevel logistic regression models revealed that direct experiences of parental physical and verbal violence during childhood were among the strongest predictors of physical and verbal CPV, both among males and females. While parental monitoring was not significantly associated with CPV, parental warmth protected girls from physical parent-directed aggression. Furthermore, high self-control was protective against verbal CPV as well as boys' physical CPV, while problematic substance use predicted physical violence toward parents in both sexes but only boys' verbal CPV. Suicidal ideation was a risk factor of aggression in males only. Except for parental warmth, the importance of risk and protective factors did not substantially vary across child gender. These findings broaden our understanding of different family and child-related factors that either promote or prevent CPV. Specifically, they point to the importance of the parenting context and especially harsh discipline practices for the occurrence of both physical and verbal CPV.
Introduction: The term Internet addiction encompasses a broad range of activities which in isolation have rarely been studied for their clinical relevance. This study looks at whether video game addiction and Internet addiction can be regarded as distinct nosological entities and whether there is a differential impact on those affected. It also aims to describe the type of activities that contribute most to the addiction. Methods: Data was collected in a school survey of Grade 7 to 10 students (M = 14.5 years; n = 4 436). Besides video game addiction (CSAS-II) and Internet addiction (CIUS), indicators of media consumption, functional level, well-being, burden for significant others and psychological strain were collected. Results: Internet and video game addiction can be regarded as two distinct nosological entities. This differentiation is supported by differences in sociodemographic variables and measures of validation. The subjective suffering seems to be higher among adolescent video game addicts than Internet addicts. Girls with an Internet addiction cite social networks almost exclusively as the cause of their problem while boys also name pornography. Discussion: In research on Internet addiction, a greater differentiation is needed regarding the underlying activities.
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