Relationships between parental internet intervention, school engagement, and risky online behaviors among adolescents: The moderatoring role of family cohesion

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between risky online behaviors, parental Internet intervention, family cohesion, school engagement among adolescents. Family cohesion was also tested as a moderator in the relationship between parental Internet intervention and risky online behavior. The participants of this study were 1, 006 junior high school students in Taiwan, and included participants from offshore islands. Self-made scales were used, namely the Risky Online Behavior Scale, Parental Internet Intervention Scale, Family Cohesion Scale, and School Engagement Scale. The main findings of the study are as follows: (1) Nearly half of adolescents showed at least one online risky behavior; (2) Upper grade students scored higher than lower grade students in all types of risky online behaviors; (3) Smartphone owners showed higher levels of risky online behaviors in passive cyberbullying, making Internet friends, Internet stickiness addiction, online pornography, and online privacy intrusion than nonowners did; (4) Risky online behavior was associated significantly with parental monitoring, behavioral disengagement, and emotional disaffection in school; (5) Significant and negative relationships were found between parental restriction, family cohesion, behavioral engagement and emotional engagement in school, and online risky behavior; (6) The strongest predictor for adolescent risky online behavior was school disaffection, followed by parental monitoring, restriction, and family cohesion; (7) The relationships between parental Internet intervention, school engagement, and risky online behaviors among adolescents were moderated by family cohesion. On the basis of the findings of this study, suggestions are presented for schools, families, and future research.