Abstract
Among adolescents, exposure to community violence (ECV) has been consistently linked to problem behaviors such as Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the associated risk and protective factors have not been adequately explored in past studies. Therefore, in accordance with the risk-buffering model and social development model, this study aimed to test whether parental monitoring moderated the relationship between ECV and IGD among adolescents, and whether this moderating effect was mediated by affiliations with risk-taking peer groups. A sample of 2,423 Chinese middle-school students anonymously responded to questionnaires that assessed ECV, IGD, affiliations with risk-taking peer groups, and parental monitoring. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that the interaction between ECV and parental monitoring negatively related to IGD among adolescents. Specifically, the positive relationship between ECV and IGD was stronger for adolescents, who reported low levels of parental monitoring than for those who reported high levels of parental monitoring. Moreover, this moderating effect was mediated by affiliations with risk-taking peer groups. These results suggest that parental monitoring is an important protective factor that can mitigate the risk of IGD among adolescents who have been exposed to community violence. Accordingly, these findings serve as an empirical base upon which prevention and intervention strategies that are aimed at mitigating the risk of IGD among adolescents can be developed.
Highlights
China has become the largest online gaming market in the world (CNNIC, 2019)
The results show that exposure to community violence (ECV) and affiliations with risk-taking peer groups were positively related to Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and that parental monitoring was negatively related to IGD
These findings suggest that ECV, low levels of parental monitoring, and high affiliations with risk-taking peer groups are potential risk factors for IGD among adolescents; ECV and low levels of parental monitoring are potential risk factors for affiliations with risk-taking peer groups
Summary
China has become the largest online gaming market in the world (CNNIC, 2019). With the rapid development of the online gaming industry, the prevalence of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is increasing rapidly, and it has become widespread, especially among adolescents (Kuss, 2013; Griffiths et al, 2015). Exposure to community violence (ECV) refers to violence that takes place outside the home, such as neighborhoods or communities, and it can be caused by a person, who is either known or unrelated to the observer (Krug et al, 2002; Kennedy and Ceballo, 2014) It is characterized by witnessing or experiencing violent behaviors such as physical threats, possession of a weapon, robbery, shooting, and stabbing (Wilson and Rosenthal, 2003; Zhang et al, 2017). Based on latent profile analysis examining the interaction of multiple environmental factors on adolescent IGD in a 6-month longitudinal study, Yu et al (2017) found that ECV is an important predictor of IGD among adolescents These findings underscore the critical role that ECV might play in increasing the risk of IGD among adolescents
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