Levels Of Parental Monitoring Research Articles

Social-Ecological Examination of Non-Consensual Sexting Perpetration among U.S. Adolescents

Adolescent sexting is a serious public health concern and is associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, declining academic performance, and health problems. Effective prevention of sexting requires a comprehensive and deep understanding of the multiple contexts whereby sexting is likely to occur. The present study explores individual and contextual risk and protective factors that are associated with sexting behavior among a large sample of adolescents. Participants were high school students in midwestern U.S. (N = 2501; LGB n = 309, 76.4% female; non-LGB n = 2192, 47.4% female) who completed self-report measures of sexting and risk (e.g., pornography exposure, impulsivity) and protective (e.g., social support) factors. Path analysis models were conducted with the sexting outcome for groups of LGB and non-LGB students. Among LGB students, results indicated a significant association between sexting and parental monitoring (b = −0.08, p < 0.01); pornography exposure (b = 0.13, p < 0.05); dating partners (b = 0.01, p < 0.01); bullying perpetration (b = 0.17, p < 0.001); and delinquency (b = 0.13; p < 0.001). Among non-LGB students, significant associations were found between sexting and alcohol/substance use (b = 0.05, p < 0.001); bullying (b = 0.08, p < 0.001); and delinquency (b = 0.06, p < 0.001). Moderation analyses suggest that parental monitoring may have a buffering effect between sexting and several risk factors. Recommendations for practitioners include considering the protective factors of sexting perpetration and encouraging appropriate levels of parental monitoring and the continued importance of bullying and alcohol and drug prevention programming to decrease risk factors of sexting perpetration.

Clustering of health risk behaviors among adolescents in Kilifi, Kenya, a rural Sub-Saharan African setting.

BackgroundAdolescents tend to experience heightened vulnerability to risky and reckless behavior. Adolescents living in rural settings may often experience poverty and a host of risk factors which can increase their vulnerability to various forms of health risk behavior (HRB). Understanding HRB clustering and its underlying factors among adolescents is important for intervention planning and health promotion. This study examines the co-occurrence of injury and violence, substance use, hygiene, physical activity, and diet-related risk behaviors among adolescents in a rural setting on the Kenyan coast. Specifically, the study objectives were to identify clusters of HRB; based on five categories of health risk behavior, and to identify the factors associated with HRB clustering.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted of a random sample of 1060 adolescents aged 13–19 years living within the area covered by the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Participants completed a questionnaire on health behaviors which was administered via an Audio Computer-Assisted Self–Interview. Latent class analysis on 13 behavioral factors (injury and violence, hygiene, alcohol tobacco and drug use, physical activity, and dietary related behavior) was used to identify clustering and stepwise ordinal logistic regression with nonparametric bootstrapping identified the factors associated with clustering. The variables of age, sex, education level, school attendance, mental health, form of residence and level of parental monitoring were included in the initial stepwise regression model.ResultsWe identified 3 behavioral clusters (Cluster 1: Low-risk takers (22.9%); Cluster 2: Moderate risk-takers (67.8%); Cluster 3: High risk-takers (9.3%)). Relative to the cluster 1, membership of higher risk clusters (i.e. moderate or high risk-takers) was strongly associated with older age (p<0.001), being male (p<0.001), depressive symptoms (p = 0.005), school non-attendance (p = 0.001) and a low level of parental monitoring (p<0.001).ConclusionThere is clustering of health risk behaviors that underlies communicable and non-communicable diseases among adolescents in rural coastal Kenya. This suggests the urgent need for targeted multi-component health behavior interventions that simultaneously address all aspects of adolescent health and well-being, including the mental health needs of adolescents.

Prescription Stimulant Misuse and Risk Correlates among Racially-Diverse Urban Adolescents

Background Most research on prescription stimulant misuse has focused on college students, and research on high school-aged adolescents is limited. Objectives This study aimed to characterize risk correlates of prescription stimulant misuse among a racially-diverse and socioeconomically-disadvantaged sample of urban adolescents. Method Cross-sectional data were drawn from an ongoing study of adolescent health behaviors, Project Teen. Participants were 414 9th to 11th graders (M age=16.00 [SD = 1.08]; 57% female; 41% Black or African American, 22% White, 18% Asian, 17% Multiracial, 2% Pacific Islander, and 1% Native American; 12% Hispanic/Latinx). Participants completed a web-based survey assessing prescription stimulant misuse, demographics, mental health and personality, social environment, and substance use. Results Eight percent of participants endorsed past-year prescription stimulant misuse. Compared to non-misusing peers, participants endorsing past-year prescription stimulant misuse reported greater depression/anxiety symptoms, sensation seeking, perceived peer risk behavior, and alcohol and cigarette use, as well as a lower level of parental monitoring; null group differences were observed for academic goal orientation, perceived peer approval of risk behavior, and cannabis use. Binary logistic regression demonstrated that binge drinking and cigarette use were significantly associated with prescription stimulant misuse over and above all other identified risk variables. Conclusions Adolescent prescription stimulant misuse appears to overlap with general adolescent substance use, sharing several known risk correlates. Results highlight potential targets for identification of emerging prescription stimulant misuse risk profiles at earlier stages of development. Longitudinal replication is needed to examine directional associations and risk mechanisms underlying adolescent prescription stimulant misuse.

Neighborhood Disorder, Family Functioning, and Risky Sexual Behaviors in Adolescence.

Adolescent risky sexual behaviors can result in negative consequences such as sexually transmitted infection. However, much research effort has been placed on understanding individual characteristics, rather than the role of neighborhood environment. This study addressed the prospective effects of neighborhood and family functioning in preadolescence on risky sexual behaviors. Participants included 4179 youth (Mage = 11.01 years, range 8.64-13.83; 51% female) and their caregivers. Using objective and self-reported measures of neighborhood and family functioning, results from multilevel regression analyses indicated that youth residing in disordered neighborhoods or had poorer family functioning in preadolescence were more likely to initiate sexual intercourse at younger ages 5 years later. Specifically, neighborhood poverty and decay were linked to early sexual initiation, whereas neighborhood social and family processes were protective against early sexual initiation. Males were more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors in neighborhoods with greater poverty or decay; neighborhood poverty was linked with sexual initiation in White but not African American youth. Finally, parental monitoring moderated relationships between neighborhood social resources and contraceptive use, with neighborhood social resources linked with greater contraceptive use at low levels of parental monitoring, but lower contraceptive use at high levels of parental monitoring. These findings underscore the importance of neighborhood and family contexts in adolescents' risky sexual behavior, suggesting that males and White youth are more vulnerable to the effects of neighborhood poverty and that more research is needed on the possible counterproductive function of parental monitoring in neighborhoods with greater social resources.

Parental Influences on Adolescent Major Depressive Symptoms and Marijuana Use

Adolescent depression is associated with many negative outcomes, including elevated marijuana use. Although parental influences on adolescent depressive symptoms and marijuana use have been examined independently, their interrelation remains understudied. The current research investigates the hypothesis that lower levels of parental monitoring and warmth are inversely associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and marijuana use. A path analytic approach (N = 12,115) on data from a representative US sample indicated depressive symptoms had an indirect effect on the relationship between parental warmth (p < .001), monitoring (p = .013), and adolescent marijuana use. Exploring relationships grouped by respondents’ age (12–14 and 15–17 years, respectively) revealed minor differences. Depressive symptoms had significant indirect effects on parental warmth and marijuana use (both p < .001) and on parental monitoring and marijuana use (both p < .05). Parental influences appear to play an important role in marijuana use among adolescents with depressive symptoms.

Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) Victimisation and Perpetration Among Young Men and Women: Findings from a UK Population-Based Cohort

Background: Approximately one-third of young people in the UK have suffered intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) on reaching adulthood. We need interventions to prevent IPVA in this population, but there is a lack of evidence on who is at greatest risk. Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children population-based birth cohort. At age 22, 3,279 participants provided information on experiences of IPVA. We estimated the prevalence of IPVA victimisation and perpetration before age 18 and at 18-22 years, for men and women, and by characteristics previously identified as risk factors in other age-groups or non-UK populations: demographic characteristics, extreme parental monitoring, mental health conditions, externalising behaviours (e.g. regular smoking), no-low education/employment, adverse childhood experiences. Findings: 29% of men and 41% of women reported IPVA victimisation respectively, 20% and 25% perpetration (16% and 22% both). The most common IPVA sub-type was emotional, followed by physical, then sexual. Experiencing self-harm, anti-social behaviours, cannabis use, or illicit (non-cannabis) drug use was associated with a two-fold increase in likelihood of IPVA exposure (victimisation or perpetration) in men and women. Men reporting risky sexual behaviour, sexual abuse (not by an intimate partner), or witnessing domestic violence, and women reporting sexual minority status in adolescence were also twice as likely to experience IPVA. High levels of parental monitoring during adolescence was associated with a reduced risk of IPVA exposure in men and women, as was not being in education, employment, or training in young adult men. Interpretation: At least one in three young adults were either victimised or perpetrated IPVA, and a range of demographic, mental health, and behavioural risk factors were associated with increased prevalence. Further study of likely complex pathways from these factors to IPVA, to inform primary prevention, is needed. Funding Statement: Medical Research Council (MR/S002634/1). AF and LDH are funded by MRC personal fellowships (MR/M009351/1, MR/M020894/1). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the ALSPAC Law and Ethics Committee and the Local Research Ethics Committees (proposal B1316). Informed consent for the use of data collected via questionnaires and clinics was obtained from participants following the recommendations of the ALSPAC Ethics and Law Committee at the time.

Parental Monitoring of Academics and Adolescents’ Engagement in Substance Use

Lifelong substance use often begins during adolesence. Eighty eight percent of adult daily smokers began before age 18. By 12th grade, about two-thirds of student have tried alcohol; approximately half of 9th through 12th grade students have reported ever having used marijuana; and among 12th graders, approximately 2 in 10 reported using prescription medicine without a prescription. Adolescents reporting lower levels of parental monitoring are more likely to use illicit substance (primarily cannabis use). Poor parental monitoring is associated with many negative youth outcomes, including maladjustment, association with deviant peers, and poor performance in school. The purpose of this research was to determine if parental involvement in student academics, specifically parental checking student homework and parental help with student homework, were significantly associated with substance use based on data from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The results of this study indicate both parental checking of homework and helping with homework are strongly and significantly associated with a reduction in substance use by adolescents (p = 0.0001).

Exposure to Community Violence, Affiliations With Risk-Taking Peer Groups, and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Parental Monitoring.

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.

Alcohol and Marijuana Use Behaviors among Latinx Adolescents: The Interplay of Intra- and Inter-Personal Predictive Factors Differ by Gender

This cross-sectional study examined the interactive effects of key interpersonal (i.e. parental monitoring) and intrapersonal (i.e. impulsivity) factors on alcohol use frequency, alcohol-related problems, and marijuana use frequency among Latinx youth by gender. It was hypothesized that parental monitoring would moderate the associations between impulsivity and each outcome, and that these findings would differ by gender. For this purpose, a sample of 129 Latinx youth (60% female) completed a series of self-report measures on substance use behaviors and consequences, parental monitoring, and impulsivity. Consistent with hypotheses, parental knowledge moderated the positive association between impulsivity and alcohol-related problems. Consistent with the differential susceptibility model, gender moderated this relation such that, compared to their male counterparts, the relation between impulsivity and alcohol related problems was stronger for female adolescents who reported low levels of parental monitoring and weaker for female teens who endorsed high levels of parental knowledge. This suggests that lack of parental monitoring may be a more important risk factor for Latina girls than Latino boys and that high level of parental monitoring may be more protective for Latina girls than Latino boys. Overall, results highlight the importance of considering the role of gender and gender socialization in our understanding of interpersonal and intrapersonal predictors of substance use among Latinx adolescents. In addition, findings suggest that culturally competent interventions for Latinx youth must also address these key issues.

Young, Bullying, and Connected. Common Pathways to Cyberbullying and Problematic Internet Use in Adolescence.

Cyberbullying perpetration (CBP) and problematic Internet use (PIU) are the most studied risky online activities for adolescents in the current generation. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between CBP and PIU. Still lacking is a clear understanding of common or differentiated risk and protective pathways for adolescents interacting in the cyber world. The aim of this study was to understand the role of individual (emotional symptoms) and environmental variables (parental monitoring) underpinning both CBP and PIU, with time spent online as a mediator of these factors. Furthermore, we investigated gender and school level differences in these dynamics. A questionnaire was filled in by 3,602 students from Italian Lower Secondary Schools and Upper Secondary Schools. Structural equation modeling was used to test the effects of emotional symptoms and parental monitoring on CBP and PIU mediated by time spent online, controlling for school level. In addition, the model was implemented for girls and boys, respectively. Negative emotional symptoms and low levels of parental monitoring were risk factors for both CBP and PIU, and their effect was mediated by the time spent online. In addition, parental monitoring highlighted the strongest total effect on both CBP and PIU. Risk and protective pathways were similar in girls and boys across Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Schools, although there were some slight differences. CBP and PIU are the outcomes of an interplay between risk factors in the individual and environmental systems. The results highlight the need to design interventions to reduce emotional symptoms among adolescents, to support parental monitoring, and to regulate the time spent online by adolescents in order to prevent risky online activities.

Parenting Practices and Adjustment Profiles among Latino Youth in Rural Areas of the United States

On average, Latino adolescents in the United States (U.S.) are at an elevated risk for developing internalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, and engaging in binge drinking. Latino youth in rural U.S. contexts may be particularly at risk. Parent–adolescent relationships may be associated with each of these indicators of maladjustment, as well as the co-occurrence of these issues. In the current study, adjustment profiles based on internalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, and binge drinking among 198 Latino adolescents (Mage = 15.90, SD = 1.47) living in rural areas of the United States were examined. Further, the association of adjustment profiles with parental behavioral involvement, parental monitoring, and familial ethnic socialization was tested. Four adjustment profiles emerged from a cluster analysis (i.e., low risk, internalizing risk, externalizing risk, co-occurring risk). Results indicated that adolescents in the co-occurring risk profile reported the lowest levels of parental monitoring compared to the other three profiles, lower familial ethnic socialization compared to the low risk and internalizing risk profiles, and lower parental behavioral involvement compared to the internalizing risk profile. The findings have implications for family-based, culturally informed interventions to encourage positive adjustment among Latino adolescents in rural areas of the United States.

Developmental Changes in Deviant and Violent Behaviors from Early to Late Adolescence: Associations with Parental Monitoring and Peer Deviance.

The continuity of adolescent deviant and violent behaviors have serious implications for engagement in criminal activities in adulthood. The current study examined parenting and peer ecologies on the development of deviant and violent behaviors during adolescence. An accelerated longitudinal design was used to analyze the associations of parental monitoring and peer deviance on the trajectories of adolescent deviant and violent behaviors from Spring of 5th grade through Spring of 11th grade (N = 1,162). A series of multilevel models were fitted to the data using full information maximum-likelihood estimation. Between- and within-person associations were used to test the moderating effects of parental monitoring on the development of deviant and violent behaviors. Changes in deviant and violent behaviors were evident across adolescence. Support for the moderating effect of between- and within-person parental monitoring on the development of deviant and violent behaviors in adolescence was found. Two cross-level interactions among within-person peer deviance and between-person parental monitoring, and within-person parental monitoring and between-person peer deviance were found, suggesting support for the moderating effect of parental monitoring. Additionally, a significant interaction among between-person parental monitoring and between-person peer deviance indicated that individuals who reported lower levels of parental monitoring and higher levels of peer deviance reported the highest levels of deviant and violent behaviors, and adolescents who reported higher levels of parental monitoring and higher levels of peer deviance reported less positive growth. The findings underscore the important role parents play in offsetting the adverse outcomes of having deviant friends.

Parenting within residential neighborhoods: A pluralistic approach with African American and Latino families at the center.

The intersection of SES and race-ethnicity impact youth development at the family and neighborhood levels. The confluence of neighborhood structural and social characteristics intersects to impact parenting multiple ways. Within lower-income neighborhoods, there is variability in economic and racial-ethnic demographics and social characteristics and a multitude of different lived experiences. We use a person-centered approach to understand how a plurality of neighborhood social characteristics shape parents' ethnic-racial socialization and monitoring strategies, normative parenting practices for diverse families. With 144 African American and Latino families in a new destination context-areas lacking an enduring historical and economic presence of same-ethnic populations-we examined whether we could replicate neighborhood profiles found in other neighborhood contexts using four neighborhood social process indicators (i.e., connectedness, cohesion and trust, informal social control, and problems), identified family- and neighborhood-level predictors of profiles, and explored differences in ethnic-racial socialization and parental monitoring knowledge by profile. We replicated three neighborhood profiles-integral (high on all positive social dynamics and low problems), anomic (low on all positive social dynamics and high problems), and high problems/positive relationships. Caregivers in these profiles differed in family SES and neighborhood disadvantage such that those in anomic neighborhoods had the lowest income-to-needs ratio whereas those in integral neighborhoods experienced the highest neighborhood disadvantage and lowest proportion of Hispanic residents. Egalitarianism, an ethnic-racial socialization message, and parental monitoring levels differed by neighborhood. Findings suggest African American and Latino families' unique experiences in a new destination context, signaling a complex interplay between race-ethnicity, SES, and place.

Developmental Precursors of Relational Aggression From Late Childhood Through Adolescence.

Relational aggression-a psychological form of aggression-has numerous negative consequences for physical and emotional health. However, little is known about the risk factors that lead youth to engage in relational aggression. Using multimethod data from a longitudinal research of 674 Mexican-origin youth, this study examined the influence of parents, siblings, and peers on the development of relational aggression. Increases in relational aggression from age 10 to 16 were associated with: (a) low levels of parental monitoring and (b) increased association with deviant peers and siblings. These results held across gender and nativity status. The findings suggest that multiple socialization agents contribute to the development of relational aggression. We discuss the practical implications for reducing relational aggression during adolescence.

A systematic review: Candidate gene and environment interaction on alcohol use and misuse among adolescents and young adults.

Youth drinking is a pervasive public health concern with serious negative developmental implications. Candidate gene and environment interaction studies (cGxE) show that environmental effects on drinking behaviors may differ by individuals' genotypes. Yet little is known about whether genetic and environmental effects on drinking behaviors are developmentally specific. This systematic review evaluated 42 cGxE studies of drinking in adolescence and young adulthood. Although there are mixed findings, studies of cGxE effects involving DRD4, 5-HTTLPR, DRD2, and OPRM1 genotypes showed relatively consistent patterns. The effects of under-controlled environments (eg, low levels of parental monitoring) on early and middle adolescent drinking appeared to differ across DRD2 or OPRM1 genotypes. Effects of alcohol-facilitating environments (eg, heavy drinking peers) on late adolescent and young adult drinking appeared to differ across DRD4 or OPRM1 genotypes. Interactions between 5-HTTLPR genotype with stressful environments (eg, negative life events) were found throughout adolescence and young adulthood, although there were some inconsistencies regarding the risk-conferring allele. There was limited evidence for other cGxE effects due to the small number of studies. This review suggests that GxE findings may advance our knowledge regarding which developmentally specific conditions result in the expression of candidate genes that influence youth alcohol use and misuse. However, since a significant number of studies had small sample sizes and most studies had small effect sizes, findings need replication across independent studies with large samples. (Am J Addict 2018;XX:1-19).

The impact of parenting on child mental health among children of prostituting mothers

While a growing body of literature documents adverse outcomes among prostituting women, very little research has focused on their parenting practices or the unique risk factors their children experience. This is of particular interest as majority of prostituting women have children, that are vulnerable to experiencing adverse outcomes. Among the general population, the positive impact of effective parenting styles on children's mental health has been well-documented; however, there is a paucity of information on the relationship between parenting practices and mental health outcomes for children of prostituting mothers. The current study examined the parenting practices of prostituting mothers and their effects on child mental health outcomes utilizing data from a larger randomized clinical trial. Mothers and their children were recruited through a local substance use treatment facility. Results indicated that children of prostituting mothers reported experiencing less parental monitoring and worse mental health functioning compared to other children. The joint influences of parental monitoring and psychological autonomy on children's mental health outcomes were different among these children, compared to those of non-prostituting mothers. Specifically, as support for children's psychological autonomy increased, so did children's mental health functioning, but only for those that experienced low to moderate levels of parental monitoring. This combination of low monitoring and increased psychological autonomy likely fostered independence and may have allowed these children to distance themselves from potential hazards and avoid experiences of abuse. To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantitatively examine parenting practices and child mental health outcomes among this population.

Perceived Access and Parental Monitoring as Moderators of Impulsivity and Marijuana Use Among Adolescents.

The social and political climate regarding marijuana use has been changing in the US over the past decade. Research suggests that many adolescents report relatively easy access to marijuana and perceptions that recreational use involves minimal harm despite a growing body of research implicating the deleterious effects of use on cognitive and psychological development. Not surprisingly, prevalence rates have been rising in recent years, making it important to identify risk and protective factors associated with adolescent marijuana use. We tested a 3-way interaction model designed to (a) examine the relationship between behavioral impulsivity and marijuana use in adolescents, and (b) evaluate the roles of perceived access and parental monitoring as moderators of this relationship. High school students (N=498, M age =15.7, 53% female, 77% White) completed an anonymous self-report assessment examining substance use, perceived access, and psychosocial factors related to substance use (i.e., behavioral impulsivity and parental monitoring). Results indicated that higher levels of impulsivity, greater access, and reduced parental monitoring were related to marijuana use. Significant moderating effects were found for perceived access and parental monitoring, such that use was greater for adolescents who perceived that marijuana was easier to acquire and for those with lower levels of parental monitoring. Among individuals with greater levels of impulsivity, parental monitoring reduced the impact of perceived access. Overall, results highlight risk and protective factors related to adolescent marijuana use and indicate that parental monitoring can be an effective means for reducing consumption.

Gender Differences in Sexual and Reproductive Health Protective and Risk Factors of Batswana Adolescents: Implications for Parent and Adolescent Interventions.

Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa and in Botswana in particular continue to bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic. This analysis assessed gender differences among theory-based sexual and reproductive health protective and risk factors in a cross-sectional sample of 228 Batswana adolescents. Incongruence between preferred and actual sources of sexual information and several important gender differences in parent-adolescent relationships, psychosocial influences, and adolescent sexual behaviors were identified. Parents were the fourth most common source of information about sex; yet, over three-quarters of adolescents preferred to have parents teach them about sex. Boys reported more positive relationships with their parents and girls reported more positive attitudes toward transactional sex. Both boys and girls reported similarly low levels of parental monitoring, parental communication, and parental responsiveness, all of which are important protective factors. These findings suggest interventions should address these gender differences and consider offering parallel interventions for adolescents and their parents in Botswana.

When parents supply alcohol to their children: Exploring associations with drinking frequency, alcohol-related harms, and the role of parental monitoring

BackgroundYouth obtain alcohol from many sources, including friends, siblings, parents and other adults. Whether parental supply, relative to other sources, is associated with experiencing a negative alcohol-related outcome is an area of considerable debate. Less well understood is whether the observed association is further contextualized by level of parental monitoring of the child. ObjectivesThis study has two main objectives: 1) determine if there is a relationship between parental supply, drinking frequency, and alcohol-related harms among youth; and 2) assess whether parental monitoring moderates this relationship. MethodsParticipants were drawn from the 2012 Student Drug Use Survey in Canada’s Atlantic Provinces, an anonymous cross-sectional survey of high school students (ages 15–19 years). Adjusted regression models assessed the association between drinking frequency, experiencing alcohol-related harms, and four different sources of supply. Additional analyses stratified on levels of parental monitoring. ResultsRelative to receiving alcohol from friends, parental supply was associated with lower odds of experiencing any alcohol-related harm (AOR 0.42; 95% CI 0.28-0.61) and loss of control (AOR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.29-0.62). Drinking frequency did not differ by source of supply. Associations between parental supply and harm were absent among youth reporting low levels of parental monitoring. ConclusionsYouth who receive alcohol from parents’ report fewer alcohol-related harms relative to those who obtain their alcohol from friends, despite no observed differences in drinking frequency. Understanding how parents may help to minimize experiences of alcohol-related harm among youth beyond the simple promotion of abstinence from drinking is warranted.

Associations Between Croatian Adolescents’ Use of Sexually Explicit Material and Sexual Behavior: Does Parental Monitoring Play a Role?

The use of sexually explicit material (SEM) has become a part of adolescent sexual socialization, at least in the Western world. Adolescent and young people's SEM use has been associated with risky sexual behaviors, which has recently resulted in policy debates about restricting access to SEM. Such development seems to suggest a crisis of the preventive role of parental oversight. Based on the Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model, this study assessed the role of parental monitoring in the context of adolescent vulnerability to SEM-associated risky or potentially adverse outcomes (sexual activity, sexual aggressiveness, and sexting). Using an online sample of Croatian 16-year-olds (N=1265) and structural equation modeling approach, parental monitoring was found consistently and negatively related to the problematic behavioral outcomes, regardless of participants' gender. While SEM use was related to sexual experience and sexting, higher levels of parental monitoring were associated with less frequent SEM use and lower acceptance of sexual permissiveness. Despite parents' fears about losing the ability to monitor their adolescent children's lives in the Internet era, there is evidence that parental engagement remains an important protective factor.