Parental monitoring, youths’ risk perceptions, and disclosure of information on social networking sites

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the link between parental monitoring and disclosure of information online, in particular, identity-, day-to-day-, and sensitive (e.g., substance use, sexual behavior) information, and the extent to which there is a mediating role of risk perception when sharing that information. Questionnaire data were collected from a total of 417 Dutch high-school students (age 12 to 17). A series of multiple hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations. The results showed a positive association between parental monitoring and the risk perception of sharing identity- and day-to-day information online, but not the risk perception of sharing sensitive information. Parental monitoring also had a positive association with disclosure of identity information, and youths related risk perceptions mediate this link. There were no associations found between parental monitoring and disclosure of day-to-day-, and sensitive information. Implications of our findings are that if risk perception of adolescents increases by prevention through parental monitoring, it can contribute to an appropriate use of disclosing information on social networking sites by adolescents.