Cyberbullying and cybervictimization versus parental supervision, monitoring and control of adolescents' online activities

Abstract

The use of technology by children and adolescents to communicate has numerous advantages, but it is also associated with cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Risk and protective factors are numerous and interact with each and are important to reduce such behaviors. Among these factors, parental online involvement can reduce cyberbullying or cybervictimization. The parental role can be positive by actively supervising and monitoring online activities or by restricting what their children are doing. Monitoring, supervising or even controlling what their children do online will enable them to see and whether they are involved in some way in cyberbullying. This was the focus of our study.Parents can also control and then limit use of technology and online access. Both approaches are beneficial; however, controlling and limiting can make the child-parent relationship distant, with children not sharing their online problems, and parents not knowing what their children might be doing. This paper looks at the relationship of these online parental roles with adolescent's involvement in cyberbullying and cybervictimization, to help parents and adults in general, to equip them most efficiently to protect their children from avoidable harm and problems. A total of 4390 Italian adolescents aged 13–20 years completed a paper and pencil self-report questionnaire, with results indicating that risk factors for cyberbullying include being a boy, being older, and spending more hours online, as well as parental control of online activities which is a very broad concept but could facilitate parents be aware of whether their children are involved in cyberbullying or cybervictimization. Concerning cybervictimization, risk factors were being older, spending more hours online, and inadequate parental supervision. Differences emerged between boys and girls.