Associations between child mobile use and digital parenting style in Hungarian families

ABSTRACT

Mobile touch screen device (MTSDs) use is becoming widespread in children and has negative and positive consequences. Yet, factors associated with greater use remain unexplored, despite the importance of their identification for intervention purposes. It stands to reason that parents can influence child MTSD use, via their attitudes, beliefs, role-modelling, and style of parenting. Here, we examined the associations between these parental characteristics and child MTSD use and whether parenting styles specifically with regard to child MTSD use exist. Hungarian parents (N = 1283) were surveyed about their children’s digital activities, their own attitudes and beliefs regarding the child’s MTSD use, and their own attachment to- and use of mobile phones. Taking a data-driven approach, distinct “digital parenting styles” were identified and these resembled general parenting styles. Findings further suggested that children spent more time with MTSD use if their parents: were more permissive, more authoritative and less authoritarian; had a lower educational level; exhibited greater attachment to their mobile phones; and had more positive attitudes towards, and attributed less harm and more benefits to, early device use. These results are the first evidence for existence of digital parenting styles and suggest that parental characteristics are potential prevention and treatment targets.     

Parenting Online and Lay Literature on Infant Spanking: Information Readily Available to Parents

ABSTRACT

Professional consensus exists against the spanking of infants based on the risk of escalation and injury. Moreover, infants are unable to recognize connections between their behavior and punishment and to modify their behavior in response. However, pediatricians and other health care professionals do not frequently discuss the issue of infant spanking with parents. Meanwhile, parents are increasingly seeking parenting information from other sources including the Internet and lay parenting books. Using content analysis methodology, online parenting sites and popular “how to” parenting books were reviewed with regard to the advisability of corporal punishment with infants. Results reveal that although the vast majority of online and popular print literature on infant parenting is developmentally sound, a small constituency of spanking advocates does exist. Given that some of the information available to parents contradicts professional consensus against the spanking of infants, it seems important for professionals concerned with the well being of infants to address the gaps in information and inherent dangers of infant spanking.     

Replicability of Effect when Transferring a Supportive Programme for Parents Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence and Their Children from the US to Sweden

ABSTRACT

Transferring an evidence-based parenting programme for parents exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children with emotional and behavioural problems reveals the extent to which cultural and social aspects can interfere with the programme’s effectiveness. Feasibility studies are of value in such circumstances, and the aim of the present feasibility study was to explore, on a small scale and in its natural context, whether the effects of the parenting programme, Project Support, were replicable when transferred to another country. In this study, the programme, which was originally designed for parents exposed to IPV and their children who had developed psychological symptoms in the United States, was evaluated in an equivalent population receiving Swedish social services. Parents (n?=?35) self-assessed their parenting capacity and their children’s (n?=?35) psychological symptoms. The results indicate that the parents improved their parenting capacity, and feelings of helplessness and fear regarding parenting their children decreased. Those feelings were also associated with the children’s psychological symptoms. The promising results are similar to the findings of previous research from the US, and further implementation and evaluation of Project Support in Sweden are indicated.     

The child-effect in the new media environment: challenges and opportunities for communication research

Abstract

Most studies on the uses and effects of media and communication by parents and children have focused on how parents influence their children. Socialization theory generally describes how children internalize the rules and norms from their parents, teachers, siblings, media, and others. Socialization is, however, a bidirectional process in which children socialize their parents as well. This “child-effect” is a perspective that has been largely ignored in the social science literature in general, and in media research, in particular. Given recent changes in the media landscape (such as the introduction of smartphones and tablets), we argue that this needs to be investigated now more than ever. In this paper, we aim (1) to give a brief theoretical overview of the “child-effect hypothesis” and (2) to discuss its challenges and opportunities for future research of the relationship between parents and children in media and communication research.     

Parenting the Mobile Internet in Italian Households: Parents' and Children's Discourses

Drawing on the rich literature on parental mediation of children's use of digital and mobile media, this paper discusses the findings of an explorative study conducted in Italy, aimed at understanding how families appropriate smartphones in relation to the household's moral economy, their domestication of ICTs and the parenting style adhered to by parents. The aim of the paper is threefold: understand (1) how are social legitimations for or against children's use of smartphones constructed; (2) how do parents make sense of their mediation of children's mobile internet use drawing on different interpretative repertoires; and (3) how children negotiate, resist or evade parental justifications by producing alternative narratives.     

Does tiger parenting work in contemporary China? Exploring the relationships between parenting profiles and preschoolers’ school readiness in a Chinese context

ABSTRACT

This study explored the relationships between parenting profiles and young children’s school readiness in urban China. Eighty-six pairs of Chinese parents completed the Chinese Parenting Style Questionnaire (CPSQ), and their children were administered the Bracken School Readiness Composite (BSRC; Bracken, B. A. (1998). Bracken basic concept scale: Revised. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.) and Preschool and Primary Chinese Literacy Scale (PPCLS; Li, H. (1999). Development and validation of the Preschool and Primary Chinese Literacy Scale. Psychological Development and Education, 15, 18–24.). A set of statistical analyses was conducted to explore the relationship between the three types of parenting profiles (supportive, tiger and easygoing) and children’s scores in BSRC and PPCLS, and four typical couples were invited to attend semi structured interviews. The results indicated that: (1) Inter-parental consistency in supportive parenting were associated with better children’s school readiness, but not for consistency in easygoing or tiger parenting; (2) Tiger mothers were not associated with better outcomes in either boys or girls; (3) Significant interaction effect was found between child gender and parenting profile. The findings have implications for the theoretical development of parental education and related programmes. Understanding the differentiated parenting styles and practices with boys and girls will help parents and educators to improve their educational practices.     

Empowered parents: the role of self-efficacy in parental mediation of children’s smartphone use in the United States

This study examines how different types of self-efficacy – media competency, perceived parenting abilities, and perceived control over parental mediation practices – influence the extent to which parents mediate their children’s use of smartphones. A survey conducted with parents of young smartphone users aged 10–17 in the United States (N = 304) reveals that parents who feel confident about their own smartphone skills view themselves as good parents and believe that they have control over their parental mediation practices and are more likely to engage in parental mediation of children’s smartphone use. The findings also indicate that when parents are less confident about their smartphone skills, those with higher parenting competencies are more likely to engage in discussion-based active mediation than those with lower parenting competencies.     

Exploring parenting practices of Guyanese parents based on their upbringing: the connections to their children’s wayward and wandering behaviors

ABSTRACT

Effective parenting experiences of individuals during the childhood years within micro-ecological environments are pivotal to cultivating good parenting practices in later adulthood. This study explored the parenting practices based on upbringing and the connections these practices had on children’s proclivity to wayward and wandering behaviours. The study employed a qualitative exploratory design through a phenomenological approach. It utilized semi-structured interviews to gather data from 10 Guyanese parents of juveniles who had wandered away from home or reported as wayward to the social services in Guyana. The findings suggest that authoritarian parenting style is predominant among this cohort of parents. However, a combined authoritarian and permissive style materialized as an unanticipated outcome. Lack of knowledge of child developmental stages and computer illiteracy emerged as key themes which have implications for appropriate parenting interventions. The findings offer credibility to a strong link between ineffective parenting practices and negative juvenile behavioural outcomes.     

Multi-platform mediation: U.S. mothers’ and fathers’ mediation of teens’ media use

This study attempts to solidify a predictive model of parental mediation across four media platforms (television, video games, internet, and cellphones). The analysis compares U.S. mothers’ and fathers’ mediation, specifically within the larger context of parenting behaviors and media attitudes. Results indicate that there are only a few, small gender differences in parental mediation. Across media, parental mediation was largely predicted by the child’s age, parents’ attitudes about media effects, and levels of parent–child involvement and communication. More involved parents were more frequent mediators for television, video games, and the Internet. Parents who reported frequent talks with children more frequently mediated all four media. The results are discussed within the context of research on parenting.     

Disentangling Associations of Children's Sports Participation and Compulsive Exercise With Parenting Practices and Child Disordered Eating Behavior

PurposeExercise can enhance health and well-being. Exercise can also, when it is highly driven and compulsive, reflect eating disorder psychopathology. The present study examined associations of compulsive exercise and youth athletics with child disordered eating behaviors (overeating, binge eating, and secretive eating) and with parenting practices related to eating and weight, including how parents talk to their children about weight.MethodsParticipants were parents (N = 875) who completed an online cross-sectional survey. Parents reported whether their child was an athlete and how often their child exercised in a “driven” or “compulsive” way to control their weight. Four groups were compared: child athletes with compulsive exercise (Group AE: n = 34, 3.9%), athletes without compulsive exercise (Group A: n = 314, 35.9%), nonathletes with compulsive exercise (Group E: n = 40, 4.6%), and nonathletes without compulsive exercise (Group X: n = 487, 55.7%).ResultsThere was a significant, graded association of eating/weight-related parenting: parents of Group E children had the most negative eating/weight-related parenting, followed by parents of Group AE children, followed by both noncompulsive exercise groups (Group A and Group X). Parents reported significantly more “fat talk” in both compulsive exercise groups (Group AE and Group E) than noncompulsive exercise groups (Group A and Group X). Significantly more youth had regular disordered eating behaviors (overeating, binge eating, and secretive eating) in compulsive exercise groups (Group AE and Group E) compared with noncompulsive exercise groups (Group A and Group X).ConclusionsOverall, relatively few youth were categorized as engaging in compulsive exercise. However, compulsive exercise, particularly among nonathletes, was consistently associated with both disordered eating behaviors and eating/weight-related parenting practices. Stronger associations emerged for compulsive exercise than child athletics.     

Parental opinions towards the “No Jab,No Pay” policy in Australia

BackgroundIn 2016, Australia introduced the “No Jab, No Pay” legislation, which removed the option of non-medical exemptions from the vaccination requirements to receive certain family and child care tax benefits. We aimed to gauge parental support for “No Jab, No Pay” and explore how it has impacted parental attitudes towards vaccination, particularly among families that are reliant on the tax benefits linked to vaccination under “No Jab, No Pay”.MethodsAn online survey distributed to parents with children under 5 in Australia assessed parental knowledge and opinions towards childhood vaccination and the “No Jab, No Pay” policy.ResultsA total of 411 parents completed the survey. The majority of parents reported their child was either fully vaccinated or they intended to fully vaccinate. Eighty-two percent of parents were in favour of “No Jab, No Pay.” The belief that vaccine-preventable diseases are a significant risk to unvaccinated children was a predictor of supporting the “No Jab, No Pay” policy (AOR = 5.95, 95% CI = [3.60, 10.94], p < 0.001). Parents that depend on the financial benefits associated with “No Jab, No Pay” and parents that utilize child care services were significantly more likely to reconsider vaccination, if they previously hesitated or objected, because of the policy (AOR = 9.66, 95% CI = [4.98, 18.72], p < 0.001 and AOR = 2.09, 95% CI = [1.04, 4.17], p = 0.04).ConclusionWe found that there is widespread support for “No Jab, No Pay” among parents of young children, but parents that depend on the financial benefits or utilize child care services may be disproportionately affected by the policy. Childhood vaccination coverage in Australia could best be improved by increasing access to vaccination services and by imposing significant administrative barriers to obtaining non-medical exemptions.     

Positive parenting support during family reunification

ABSTRACT

This article presents the results of a qualitative study that explores parenting skills when a child returns home after a period of foster care in the child protection system. There were a total of 135 participants, including 63 child protection professionals, 42 parents and 30 children and adolescents. The data were analysed using content analysis submitted to peer review. Triangulating the voices of children with the input of parents and professionals rendered it possible to identify needs for the consolidation of family reunification in five dimensions: adjustment of parenting skills, adaptation to the needs of the child, social support, more accurate perception of one’s role, and parental self-efficacy. These findings suggest particular characteristics in the development of both generally applicable skills and skills specific to positive parenting that can improve the chances of a successful reunification process.     

Examining multiple parenting behaviors on young children's dietary fat consumption

ObjectiveTo understand the association between parenting and children’s dietary fat consumption, this study tested a comprehensive model of parenting that included parent household rules, parent modeling of rules, parent mediated behaviors, and parent support.DesignCross-sectional.SettingBaseline data from the MOVE/me Muevo project, a recreation site-based obesity prevention and control intervention trial.ParticipantsFive hundred forty-one parents of children between the ages of 5 and 8 years and living in San Diego County.Main Outcome MeasureChildren’s fat consumption based on parent report using a short food frequency questionnaire.AnalysisA hierarchical linear regression was conducted. In exploratory analyses, a stepwise backward elimination approach was used.ResultsChildren’s fat consumption was positively associated with parent household rules (P < .01) and negatively associated with parent modeling of rules (P < .01).Conclusions and ImplicationsControlling parenting behaviors, such as rule setting, are associated with more frequent fat consumption, whereas role modeling healthful behaviors is associated with less frequent fat consumption. Changing parenting behaviors with regard to how they feed their children is a logical avenue for improving eating behaviors.     

How families with young children are solving the dilemma between privacy and protection by building trust - A portrait from Portugal

ABSTRACT

Parents are the main mediators of the digital exposure and experiences of young children. When adopting a parental mediation style, they are challenged by a dilemma: protecting their children often means invading their privacy and restricting their options. The adopted parental mediation style is pondered according to the perceptions and experiences of parents regarding digital media; it is an ongoing and dynamic negotiation between the actions of parents and children. Our research focuses on mobile apps, since the favourite devices of young children are smartphones and tablets, in order to explore how parents and children select apps, and which criteria they use. Our fieldwork was conducted in Portugal and used a mixed method, combining an online survey to a purposive sample of 1955 parents of children under 8 years old, and separate interviews to parents and children under 8 to a purposive sample of 81 families. Our results reveal how parents are coping with contrasting perceptions on digital media and how they negotiate their parental mediation style in interaction with their children. Parents believe more in building trust than in restricting children, but when they find it necessary, their will to protect overcomes their respect for the children’s privacy.     

An Integrative Review: Understanding Parental Use of Social Media to Influence Infant and Child Health

Objectives

Parents of young children have unique informational needs and it has been demonstrated that information-seeking behaviors influence health outcomes. Due to social media’s popularity, understanding parents’ use of social media may assist in disseminating accurate parenting information and in developing targeted interventions. Thus, we aimed to identify and describe the existing literature of parental use of social media for parenting in the U.S.

Methods

After searching nine databases with two separate Boolean phrases, identified articles were reviewed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in 12 articles published between January 2004 and May 2018 that related to parental use of social media for parenting or infant health in the U.S. Data from relevant articles were then extracted and analyzed.

Results

Facebook was the most frequent social media format. Parental utilization of social media varied by race/ethnicity and region. Studies primarily focused on women and a range of article topics were identified, the most common being infant feeding practices. Finally, two themes emerged: (1) parental support via social media and (2) effectiveness of using social media for health communication targeting parents.

Conclusions for Practice

Social media provided support for parents and was effective for communicating health information; thus, public health organizations should include social media in their efforts to promote infant and child health. More research is needed to further identify demographic differences in social media use among parents.

     

Pathways to Resilience Among Children in Child Welfare,Corrections, Mental Health and Educational Settings: Navigation and Negotiation

In this paper I explore how social service delivery systems influence the pathways children travel to resilience. In particular, I look at children’s navigation to the health resources that are available through service delivery systems and their negotiation with service providers for service once under a provider’s mandate. Two case examples are used to illustrate health-enhancing and health-challenging patterns of service provision and utilization among high-risk youth. I then address two questions that are critical to understanding children’s pathways to resilience: “What services do children say they need to achieve resilience?” and “How does the structure of services affect children’s access to the health resources required to nurture and sustain resilience?”     

Parental correlates of food parenting practices: socioeconomic status,weight, and dieting status

Little research has considered how parents’ socioeconomic indicators, body mass index (BMI), and dieting status relate to their food parenting. The current study used self-report data from parents of young children to examine group differences on three types of food parenting practices (Structure, Coercive Control, and Autonomy Promotion). Few group differences were found for socioeconomic indicators. However, parent dieting status moderated effects of parent BMI on structure and autonomy promotion. Obese, non-dieting parents reported lower scores on both variables. More research is needed to better understand how parents’ dieting status moderates the effects of parent’s weight.     

Tasmania’s child and family centres building parenting capability: a mixed methods study

ABSTRACT

Tasmania’s Child and Family Centres (Centres) provide a single entry point to early childhood services (ECS) and aim to improve the health and well-being, education and care of Tasmania’s children through supporting families and carers. This mixed methods study investigated the impact of Centres on parents’ confidence and competence. Centre users reported a slightly lower overall sense of parenting competence than non-users. There was no difference between Centre users and non-users in how they felt overall as a parent. Compared to non-Centre users, Centre users were more likely to report that ECS helped them develop new parenting skills. Centres supported parenting practices through a range of formal (i.e. parenting courses) and informal (i.e. role modelling) strategies. Centre users indicated that the combination of formal and informal parenting supports worked together to assist them build new parenting skills. The Centre model and partnership approach facilitates the development of positive parenting practices.     

The Association Between Overparenting,Parent‐Child Communication,and Entitlement and Adaptive Traits in Adult Children

What is colloquially referred to as “helicopter parenting” is a form of overparenting in which parents apply overly involved and developmentally inappropriate tactics to their children who are otherwise able to assume adult responsibilities and autonomy. Overparenting is hypothesized to be associated with dysfunctional family processes and negative child outcomes. Predictions were tested on 538 parent‐young adult child dyads from locations throughout most of the United States. Parents completed a newly developed measure of overparenting as well as family enmenshment, parenting styles, and parent‐child communication scales. Young adult children completed measures of parent‐child communication, family satisfaction, entitlement, and several adaptive traits. Results showed that overparenting is associated with lower quality parent‐child communication and has an indirect effect on lower family satisfaction. Overparenting was also a significant predictor of young adult child entitlement, although it was not related to any of the adaptive traits measured in young adult children.     

父母社会经济地位和养育效能的关系：父母第一次生育年龄的中介作用

目的 探究父母第一次生育年龄在父母社会经济地位和养育效能中是否存在中介效应,从而为提高父母养育效能提供参考依据。方法 采取分层整群抽样方法,选取蚌埠市2所幼儿园和2所小学的1～3年级共计880名3～9岁儿童,以儿童及其父母为研究对象进行问卷调查,内容包括儿童及其父母的一般人口学资料及父母养育效能的评价。基于多元线性回归分析构建中介效应模型,采用Bootstrap法对模型中的中介效应进行检验。结果 相关性分析显示,母亲社会经济地位与母亲角色满意度呈负相关(P<0.05),与母亲第一次生育年龄呈正相关(P<0.01)。母亲第一次生育年龄与母亲自我效能感和母亲角色满意度呈负相关(P<0.01)。控制儿童的性别后,中介效应模型显示,母亲社会经济地位与母亲角色满意度呈负相关(β=-0.071,t=-2.123,P<0.05),母亲社会经济地位与母亲第一次生育年龄呈正相关(β=0.252,t=7.717,P<0.01);母亲第一次生育年龄与母亲角色满意度呈负相关(β=-0.087,t=-2.365,P<0.05)。控制儿童的性别后,Bootstrap检验结果表明...