Parent-Child Connections on Social Networking Sites and Cyberbullying

This study examines the role of a parent-child connection on social networking sites on negative online experiences of young adolescents. Using data from a secondary analysis of teenagers (aged 12 to 17 years old) who participated in the 2011 Teens and Digital Citizenship Survey and controlling for their participation in risky online activities and socio-demographic factors, the study establishes that children reporting having a parent as a social networking friend are less likely to be victims of cyberbullying. Furthermore, the parent-child connection on social networking sites apparently has a specific protective effect that might result from the children's disclosure of information to their parents through the mechanism of friending. The implications of the findings are discussed.