Exploring the impact of parental guidance strategies on the risk of online grooming in children and adolescents

Child and adolescent sexual abuse is an increasingly severe social issue, with emerging internet technologies providing new avenues for the proliferation of child pornography. Extensive research highlights the serious psychological impacts of online sexual abuse on minors. In this context, parents stand as the first line of defense in protecting children from danger. Despite experts and practitioners emphasizing the importance of parental supervision to shield children from the risks posed by digital technology-facilitated exploitation, current research on the correlation between parental oversight of children’s internet use and the risk of sexual abuse remains insufficient. This study categorizes parental guidance strategies for children's online activities into four types based on relevant literature: Restrictive Mediation, Active Mediation, Participatory Learning, and Technical Mediation. These categories form the basis of a five-point scale (always = 5, never = 1) to explore how different strategies predict the risk of children encountering online grooming. The questions regarding grooming risk reference standards provided by organizations like the Internet Safety Brigade and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which include signs such as children becoming secretive or defensive about their online behavior or unable to explain money or gifts they possess. This study involved both online and field surveys, with 301 parents of children under 18 participating. Results indicated that the most common strategy used by parents is Active Mediation, involving discussing online content with children, explaining its appropriateness or potential risks, and teaching online safety rules (M = 3.801, SD = 0.935). The second most common is Restrictive Mediation, setting rules for technology use (M = 3.608, SD = 1.026). Third is Participatory Learning, where parents engage with technology alongside their children (M = 3.532, SD = 0.902). Lastly is Technical Mediation, using parental controls to filter inappropriate content (M = 3.032, SD = 1.197). Parent reports indicate a low potential risk of children being groomed (M = 1.517, SD = 0.435). Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between overall supervision strategies and grooming risk, F(4,258)= 7.085, p<.001, R²=.099. Specifically, more frequent use of Restrictive Mediation (β =-.201, t = -2.475, p=.014) and Participatory Learning (β = -.179, t = -2.194, p=.001) correlates with lower risk, whereas increased use of Technical Mediation (β = .247, t = 3.104, p=.002) correlates with higher risk. These results suggest that different supervision strategies have varied predictive effects on grooming risk. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, causation cannot be established. When parents notice signs of potential grooming, they might increase the frequency of Technical Mediation. The lack of predictive effect of Active Mediation could be because it focuses on discussion and education, allowing more autonomy for children, which could lead to more diverse online behavior. Restrictive Mediation and Participatory Learning likely reduce the potential risk of grooming by limiting internet use and increasing parental involvement in children's online activities.