Abstract
Objective: the aim of the study was to examine the mediating role of stress in associations between online risky behavior and three factors, namely, real-life risky behaviors and information security awareness as risk factors, and life satisfaction as a protective factor. Method: participants were university students (N=883, 40.5% male, and 59.5% female) with an average age of M=21.93 years (SD=4.29). They filled out the Users’ Information Security Awareness Questionnaire, Youth self-reported delinquency and risk behaviors questionnaire, Life satisfaction scale and Perceived Stress Scale. Result: Mediational analysis revealed a mediating role of stress: stress had a partially mediating role in the association between real-life risky behaviors and online risky behavior, making the association stronger. However, stress had a fully mediating role in the association between life satisfaction and online risky behavior, that is, the association was non-significant in the presence of stress. Conclusions: Overall results indicate that stress experienced in real-life situations can be a trigger for online risky behavior in adolescents. Under stressed conditions, adolescents choose to focus on negative outcomes more frequently because they refocus their cognitive resources on emotion regulation and leave inhibitory processes necessary to prevent risky behaviors uncontrolled.
Highlights
Online Risky Behaviors as a Type of Adolescent Risky BehaviorsAccording to previous study (Adams & Berzonsky, 2003), adolescence has been viewed as a critical developmental period and, as the period of greatest risk for engagement in problematic behaviors (Eaton et al, 2012) such as alcohol, cannabis, and drug use, smoking, aggression, minor delinquency, risky sexual behaviors and unsafe driving (Duell et al, 2018)
Preconditions for parametric statistics and regression analysis were met
Both of the risky behaviors had a low frequency of occurrence (“never” or “rare”), the information security awareness was average, the life satisfaction was mostly high and the perceived level of stress in the last few months was average (i.e., “sometimes”)
Summary
Online Risky Behaviors as a Type of Adolescent Risky BehaviorsAccording to previous study (Adams & Berzonsky, 2003), adolescence has been viewed as a critical developmental period and, as the period of greatest risk for engagement in problematic behaviors (Eaton et al, 2012) such as alcohol, cannabis, and drug use, smoking, aggression, minor delinquency, risky sexual behaviors and unsafe driving (Duell et al, 2018). In late adolescence (from 18 to 24 years of age), which is a period of frequent change and exploration of life goals and roles, young people seek to gain economic and psychological autonomy, become more responsible and step into adulthood (Sawyer et al, 2018). In this process risky behaviors become more frequent and reach peak during late adolescence (Duell et al, 2018). Engaging in online risky behaviors is more likely in late adolescence than in any other age group (Escobar-Chaves & Anderson, 2008)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
