The Buffering Effect of Parental Mediation in the Relationship between Adolescents' Cyberbullying Victimisation and Adjustment Difficulties

Abstract

As cyberbullying research advances, many researchers have focused on identifying factors that might reduce the negative consequences associated with cyberbullying victimisation. One prominent factor receiving attention is the role of parental mediation in digital technology use, and how such mediation reduces the risk of cybervictimisation. Parents utilise different mediation strategies (i.e. restrictive, co‐viewing, instructive), which could potentially contribute to differential patterns in the relationships between cyberbullying victimisation and the associated psychosocial adjustment difficulties (i.e. depression, loneliness, anxiety). The present study investigated this proposal among 568 US (53% female) adolescents in the eighth grade (age ranging from 13–15 years), utilising a longitudinal design. Cyberbullying victimisation was related positively to restrictive mediation and Time 2 depression, anxiety and loneliness, while such associations were negative for co‐viewing mediation and instructive mediation. High levels of co‐viewing mediation and instructive mediation made the relationship of cyberbullying victimisation to Time 2 (1 year later) depression more negative. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the supportive role of parents in adolescents' digital technology use. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Cyberbullying victimisation is linked positively to depression, anxiety and loneliness as well as restrictive mediation. Cyberbullying victimisation is related negatively to co‐viewing mediation and instructive mediation. Co‐viewing mediation and instructive mediation buffer against adolescents' depression and anxiety resulting from cyberbullying victimisation.

When you think you know: The effectiveness of restrictive mediation on parental awareness of cyberbullying experiences among children and adolescents

“…In this study, parental monitoring of online accounts was included as restrictive mediation, which does not qualify as restrictive (Livingstone & Helsper, 2008). Conversely, Wright (2016) found that restrictive mediation increased cyber victimization, arguing that restrictive mediation was not enough to prevent victimization. Sometimes, children are afraid to tell their parent about being cyberbullied because they do not want more restrictions (Navarro et al, 2013).…”

“…There have been several studies that have examined the implementation of online rules in relation to children's negative online experiences (e.g., Chang et al, 2015;Spears et al, 2005;Wright, 2016), however, research has yielded mixed findings. Spears and colleagues (2005) found that restrictive mediation reduced negative online activities such as visiting inappropriate sites, meeting strangers, and revealing personal information.…”

Negative Peer Relationships on Piracy Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Associations between Cyberbullying Involvement and Digital Piracy

“…Cyberbullying significantly affects children’ and adolescents’ social, emotional, and academic well-being. Different studies have shown that victims of cyberbullying are more likely than non-victimized youths to report emotional distress, depression symptoms, low self-esteem, anxiety, social isolation, less life satisfaction, school absenteeism, poor academic performance, and suicidal ideation [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Cyberbullying perpetration is also associated with anxiety, depression, low life satisfaction, loneliness and poor academic performance.…”

The Role of Digital Technology in Child Protection: Still Helping and Harming?

“…The next paper, by Michelle Wright (), segues usefully with the previous one in that it presents research on one of the four categories of intervention identified by Wurtele and Kenny; namely, ‘parental mediation’ – in this instance, regarding ‘cyberbullying’. Wright's work is also useful in that it acts as a reminder that while online sexual victimisation tends to receive much more attention in the media, CYP are considerably more at risk of cyberbullying.…”

“…The threats from digital technology‐based harms and the responses with which they have been met have been shown to be multidimensional, with many of these individual ‘dimensions’ having discrete child protection implications. For example, the capacity of a digital technology‐based interaction to cause harm to a child may be dependent upon his or her particular circumstances (Greenhow et al ., ); the efficacy of an intervention may vary according to the specific form that it takes (Wright, ); and difficulties in managing child protection concerns may heighten when communicating digitally (Lamberton et al , ).…”