Parental mediation on children’s emotional behavioral adjustment in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Abstract

Background: The present research was designed to investigate the influence of parental mediation on children’s emotional, behavioral adjustment and the moderation effect of children’s gender and parents’ education level on the association. Methods: 177 parents from Kota Kinabalu (central capital of Sabah) participated as the respondents answering online questionnaires which involved Livingstone and Helsper (2008) Parental Mediation (LHPM), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Multiple regression analysis indicated a significant positive association of monitoring and active co-use with prosocial behaviors; F (2, 174) = 14.393, p < .05. Monitoring was negatively significantly associated with conduct problems; F (1, 175) = 5.267, p < .05 and hyperactivity/inattention; F (1, 175) = 13.920, p < .05. Active co-use was negatively significantly associated with peer problems; F (1, 175) = 7.005, p < .05. Interaction and technical restriction were not significantly associated with any contexts of SDQ. The moderation analysis for children’s gender and parents’ education level reflected no significant association. Conclusions: Overall, integrating monitoring and active co-use as parental mediation strategies is encouraged in Malaysia’s context. Both strategies significantly influence children’s adjustment in the emotional, behavioral context, promote positive behavior, and decrease the risk of negative ones.