10/19/2020

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Improving Parental Monitoring of Social Media Behaviors to Reduce Negative Health
Outcomes

Jennifer Sheaffer
Department of Nursing, Edinboro University
NURS 900: DNP Project
Dr. Jill Rodgers
September 24, 2020

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Jill Rodgers, my project supervisor, Dr. Cheryl Jackson, my clinical
expert, and Dr. Meg Larson for their encouragement and guidance to pursue this research
project. I also want to thank my husband John for his unwavering support as always, and my son
Dylan for his inspiration in completing this project.

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Abstract
Background/Significance: Social media plays a significant part in the lives of many teens.
Inappropriate use of social media can cause negative consequences. Studies show that cyberbullying, lack of family interaction, lower self-esteem and depression are among these
consequences. Unfortunately, studies also show that many parents lack the knowledge to
monitor their children’s social media use.
Purpose: To evaluate and improve parents’ knowledge of their teen’s social media behaviors
and provide strategies to monitor their teen’s online activities.
Methods: This quantitative, descriptive study examined the knowledge parents have about
social media and the interventions used to monitor their teens online activities before and after an
educational intervention. Utilizing the University of Iowa’s Professional Nursing Practice
Model, the survey questions were intended to evaluate the active participation of parents and
caregivers in communicating with their teens and establishing a partnership regarding the rules
of social media usage. A 21-item pretest survey and a 14-item post-test survey were completed
by 14 parents/caregivers of adolescents between the ages of 12-17 years old. McNemar’s test
was used to compare pre and post-test responses. Paired t-test was used to compare summary
scores pre and post-test
Findings: An increase in parent/caregiver knowledge of social media was reported in 86% of
respondents, indicating the educational intervention was helpful.
Conclusion: This study adds to the evidence that providing parents with social media education,
improves their knowledge of how they can monitor the online behaviors of their teens.
Implications for Future Nursing Practice and Research: Identifying changes in health
outcomes due to parents actively monitoring their children’s social media activities is important
to determine specific interventions that may be the most beneficial for parents to use.

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Table of Contents
Research Problem and Project Goals……………………………………………………………...6
Background and Significance……………………………………………….............................6
Problem………………………………………………………………………………………...7
Key Terms……………………………………………………………………………………...7
Project Goals…………………………………………………………………………………...9
Research Question………………………………………………………………………...10
Assumptions……………………………………………………………….........................10
Framework and Literature…………………………..……………………………………………11
Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………….........................11
Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………..12
Study Process and Data……………………………………..…………………………………... 17
Study design and Methods……………………………………………………………………17
Survey Measures…………………………………………………………………………..19
Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………….19
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………20
Data Analysis and Study Results……...…………………………………………………………21
Table 1. Demographic information…………………………………………… …………… 22
Table 2. Parental Concerns of Child Safety……………………………………………...…. 23
Table 3. Parent/Caregiver Knowledge of Child Internet Use…………………………..........23
Table 4. Parent/Caregiver Internet Safety Interventions………………………………..……24
Table 5. Interventions of Parent/Caregiver in Checking Child’s Internet Activity……...…..24
Table 6. Parental Perception That Interventions Have Positive Affect……………………...25
Table 7. Changes in Parental Interventions ………..………………………………………..25
Table 8. Parents Perception of Ability to Help Child with Problems on the Internet……….26
Table 1-B. Parental Confidence of Internet Use…………...…………………………………28
Table 2-B. Parental Concerns of Child Safety……………...………………………….…… 28
Table 3-B. Parent/Caregiver Knowledge of Child Internet Use………………………..…… 29
Table 4-B. Parent/Caregiver Internet Safety Interventions………………...……….……….. 29
Table 5-B. Interventions of Parent/Caregiver in Checking Child’s Internet Activity….…… 29
Table 6-B. Changes in Parent/Caregiver Interventions…………...………………………….30
Table 7-B. Parent Perceptions of Ability to Help Child with Problems on the Internet…..….30
Table 8-B. Parents Awareness of Child/Teen Internet Activities in the Past Year………….30
Table 9-B. Where Parents get Internet Safety Advice………………………...…………..... 31
Synthesis of Study………….……………………………………………………………………31
Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………….31
Limitations and Conclusions………………………………………………………………….33
Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………….34
Appendix A: Survey Questionnaires……………………………………………………………36
Reference List……………………………………………………………………………………43

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Research Problem and Project Goals
Background and Significance
Social networking has become a dominant force in the lives of today’s adolescents. Although
studies have shown benefits from the use of social media in moderation, such as enhanced social
support and personal connections (AAP, 2016); negative consequences on the well-being of
adolescents, due to overuse of social media, have also been identified. These consequences
consist of; cyber-bullying, educational and mental health disorders, sexting, lack of family
interaction, lower self-esteem, increased depression and personal privacy concerns.
Adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood. During this growth stage,
adolescents are developing their sense of self and personal identity. According to Christofferson
(2016), Eric Erikson (1959) concluded that, “the teen may experience self-doubt, role diffusion
and role confusion, if one fails in their search for identity”. According to a study done by
Khurana (2015), a large number of youth tend to spend more than two hours a day on social
networking sites, contributing to a reduction of nearly 66% in youth social gathering. Although
a substantial amount of research has been conducted that evaluates the perception of teachers and
students in regard to technology use, there is little research that reports parents’ perceptions of
their children’s use of technology (Delen, Kaya, Ritter & Sahin, 2015), including that of online
social media and virtual spaces. Parents should understand and utilize monitoring techniques
that will reduce the negative impact that social media can have on children and adolescents.
Parental involvement has protective effects on children offline and therefore, should also be
considered for online activities. The level of parental involvement and support depends on their
knowledge about technology and plays a vital role on controlling the effects of

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children’s technology use (Delen, Kaya, Ritter Sahin, 2015). The purpose of this study was to
answer the research question: Will educating parents about strategies to monitor social media
use, increase parental involvement of screening their adolescent’s social media behaviors?
Problem
Although studies have shown benefits from the use of social media in moderation, such as
enhanced social support and connections (AAP, 2016); risks of social media use in the
adolescent population have also been identified as including; cyberbullying, educational and
mental health consequences, sexting, and privacy concerns. Parents have a responsibility to
obtain knowledge about the risks that online media use may have on the well-being of their
children. Social media and online gaming have become popular forms of communication and
entertainment, that can provide positive and negative experiences for older children and
adolescents. These negative effects can have an impact on the well-being of adolescents lasting
into adulthood. A lack of parental knowledge about their children’s online activities may be an
obstacle of appropriate internet mediation (Symons, Ponnet, Emmery, Wlarave & Heriman,
2017).
Key Terms
1. Social Media: Any internet communication tool that allows users to share content quickly
and engage with the public (Hudson, 2020).
2. Cyberbullying: Deliberate and repeated harmful behaviors inflicted on another person or
group of persons using computers, cell phones and other electronic devices (Cyberbullying
Research Center, (2019).
3. Sexting: Sending or receiving explicit images (photos or videos containing nude or nearly

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nude images, text messages that refer to sexual acts or simulated sex) on a smartphone or over
the Internet (KidsHealth, 2019).
4. Parental mediation: involves the interactions between parents and children about media
Use (Coyne, et.al 2017).
Cyberbullying
The act of cyberbullying allows the bully to be anonymous, enabling them to say horrendous
things while typing under a screen name. Standard methods of cyberbullying are name-calling or
insults, the spreading of rumors or gossip, and the distribution of unauthorized pictures.
Cyberbullying is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of depression (Hamm et
al., 2015). Negative health consequences developed from social media use in the adolescent
population, can carry over into adulthood. A study performed by the Highmark Foundation
(2010), indicates that 30.83 percent of students who were bullied, end up suffering from a mental
health disorder, with the cost of treatment for each student ($3,567.) According to Openberg,
Lanctot & Herman (2002), the economic costs of depression include direct costs, such as medical
expenses acquired in diagnosis and treatment of depression, and indirect costs; such as loss of
work productivity due to absenteeism, disability premature mortality. Another high cost problem
a bully victim may end up facing is an alcohol use disorder, with almost 50 percent of victims
dealing with an alcohol problem at some point during their lives. For each person affected, the
cost of treatment is $2,150 (Highmark Foundation, 2010)
Sexting
Electronic communication of nude, seminude, or provocative images, as well as erotic text
messages, or “sexting”, is a behavior used by approximately 18% to 28% of adolescents (Houck,
et al., 2014). Research suggests teenagers who participate in sexting are more likely to partake in

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA
sexual activity. These images can be quickly distributed via the internet or cell phones without
the individual in the image knowing it. Victims can suffer emotional distress and face
embarrassment and humiliation (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2016), a study identified two-thirds of
children and teenagers report that their parents have “no rules” about time spent utilizing
electronic forms of media. More than 60% of teenagers send and /or receive text messages after
“lights out”, and they report increased level of tired-ness, including at school. “The exposure of
adolescents through media to alcohol, tobacco use, or sexual behaviors is associated with earlier
initiation of these behaviors” (AAP, 2016). A study performed by Durbin, Denapoles, &
Lundeen (pg. 19), recommended healthcare providers, parents, teachers, and adolescents be
aware of negative effects and take precautions to prevent depression, decreased self-esteem, and
acts of cyberbullying. “When precautions and screening are in place, there is a better chance of
combating the negative effects of social media” (Durbin, Deapolies, & Lundeed, 2018).
Project Goals
It is important to identify the ways in which parents screen their children’s activities when
they are utilizing social media. It is the aim of this study that parents will be more aware of the
benefits and risks of social media, and they will learn strategies to help them actively participate
in the monitoring of their adolescent’s social media behaviors to reduce negative mental health
effects.
Research Question
Will educating parents about strategies to monitor social media use, increase parental
involvement of screening their adolescent’s social media behaviors?

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Assumptions
In parents of adolescents that use social media, the following assumptions are:
1. The pre-education survey will identify parents have a poor understanding of how to screen
the social media use of their adolescents.
2. Parents will have greater knowledge of the negative effects that social media use can have
on the well-being of adolescents after reviewing the educational web page.
3. The post-education survey will identify parents have a significant increase in knowledge of
how to participate in screening of their adolescent’s social media behaviors after reviewing
the educational web page.
4. The post-education survey will identify that parents have increased their role in active
monitoring of their adolescent’s social media behaviors within 6 weeks of viewing the
educational web page.
Framework and Literature
Conceptual Framework
The theoretical framework of this study was based on the University of Iowa’s Professional
Nursing Practice Model. This model provides a collaborative framework for nursing practice that
focuses on consistency in how nursing care is delivered. The framework defines authority,
autonomy, and accountability for all registered nurses as they care for patients, families, and
communities (University of Iowa, 2020). Active participation of patients and families in
decision-making is encouraged. Providing the tools for parents to adequately monitor their
children’s use of online social media activities, promotes the development of partnerships

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between the health care providers and families. Communicating and sharing information with
families and patients is important in making the best health care decisions that align with the
outcome goal (University of Iowa, 2020). There are six pillars that make up the foundation of
the framework: Leadership, Research, Shared Governance, Evidence Based Practice, Education,
and Clinical Expertise. Nurse practitioners have a unique opportunity to not only provide
medical care to patients, but also empower and educate patients and families to make health care
decisions. Children and adolescents are developing cognitive abilities such as decision -making
skills and require guidance from parents and caregivers. This framework identifies the
importance of using EBP to support standards of care and apply new knowledge.
As technology advances and social media platforms increase in number, adolescents will
have more opportunities to access different types of social media. As health care providers
continually learn about the risks and benefits associated with social media use by children and
adolescents, it is necessary to provide the education and tools that families need to make
decisions to reduce negative effects of social media use. Mental health problems can be a
negative effect of inappropriate social media use, such as cyber-bullying others, being a victim of
cyber-bullying, or viewing inappropriate material. The University of Iowa’s nursing practice
framework suggests a direct link between the nurse’s clinical expertise and accountability for
their practice (2020).
Review of the Literature
Studies have shown the negative effects that social media can have on the well-being of older
children and adolescents. It is frequently necessary for children to utilize the internet as it has
become integrated into schoolwork and other computer-based educational activities; Therefore, it
is important that it be used as a positive tool.

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Parental Perceptions of Online Risks
Delen, Kaya, Ritter & Sahin (2015) performed a quantitative study using a convenience
sampling method of 505 parents in Southeastern Texas to explore parents’ concerns of their
children’s communication technology use. Among 410 responses received, only 20.5% were
extremely concerned about bullying, while 32.2% were not at all concerned. Approximately half
of parents were either moderately or extremely concerned about physical inactivity (44.3%) and
51.9% were concerned about safety and 45.6% were concerned about content. These results are
similar to those of a study by Symons, Ponnet, Emmery, Walrave & Heriman (2017), that used a
multi-actor approach of data collection, including two parent families and a child in the age
group of 13 to 18 years old. The study sample consisted of 357 valid triads that evaluated
discrepancies between mothers, fathers and children’s knowledge of online risks related to
cyberbullying, inappropriate viewing of pornographic and violent content and communication
with strangers. The study concluded low discrepancy between the parent’s knowledge of their
children’s cyberbullying perpetration (81.5 % of mothers and 73.1% of fathers were not aware of
cyberbullying activities), suggesting the majority of parents were not aware their children had
participated in perpetrating or been a victim of cyberbullying. Another finding of interest from
this study is that mothers and fathers had low discrepancy (65.2% and 62%,) in their knowledge
that their children had accepted friend requests from strangers. This research concludes that
parents have low knowledge of adolescent’s online behaviors.
A study performed by Sorbring, Hallberg, Bohlin and Skoog (2014,) researched parental
attitudes and young people’s self-reported online sexual activities. The sample consisted of 496
parents (78% mothers) of adolescents age 13 years, belonging to two different cohorts (male and
female adolescents). This aim of this study was to raises the question as to what knowledge

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parents have about the risks of social media and online activities. The study found that parents
attitudes toward online sexual activities varied both with the sex of the parent and with the sex of
the young person. Fathers had a less negative opinion towards online sexual activity than
mothers. The study suggests parental cognizance of internet use is another important factor in
understanding how older children and adolescents may be impacted by the risks associated with
online activities. Another study performed by Metzger, Flanagin and Nekmat (2015), performed
a study of 2,747 parent-child dyads that identified parental feelings of self-efficacy regarding
internet credibility is influenced by demographic factors, including level of education. This selfefficacy leads to enhanced parental optimism of their ability to evaluate their children’s
internet usage, suggesting these parents believe their children are at lower risk of making poor
internet behavioral decisions.
Types of Parental Internet Mediation of Older Children and Adolescents
Parent’s influence on their children’s Internet usage is important in reducing the risk of
negative effects on children’s well-being that have been found to be associated with online
gaming and social media use. Research has identified common methods of parental mediations
as; active mediation, restrictive mediation and distant mediation. A study by Daneels and
Vanwynsberghe (2017), sampled 13 adolescents and 14 parents within 10 families, found that
active mediation, communication with their children on the use of online spaces, was the most
common mediation strategy used. Restrictive mediation was mostly applied by parents of
younger adolescents, aged 12 to 14 years. Lastly, distance mediation is also used but was more
challenging for some parents due to the complexity of digital media devices. Sasson and Mesch
(2017), studied methods of parental mediation including active guidance, restrictive supervision,
and non-interventions. The study revealed that parental mediation through guidance or

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nonintervention, was not statistically significant in preventing their children from becoming
online victims. However, parent’s efforts to control their children’s activities by checking their
emails, IM accounts or Facebook profile (restrictive supervision), were positively associated
with reducing online victimization. These results may suggest parents who feel that their child
displays behaviors of concern, intervene to confirm their suspicions. Interestingly, the study
conclusion on restrictive supervision varies from other studies results on the effectiveness of
restricted supervision. Khurana, Bleakley, Jordan and Romer (2017), concluded parental
monitoring of adolescents’ online activity had a significant protective effect on online
harassment, both directly and indirectly; however, parental internet restriction did not have a
direct protective effect of online harassment.
Predictors of Parental Monitoring of Media Usage
Several characteristics have shown to affect how parents monitor their children’s media
usage, including socio-demographic factors and the age and sex of the child. In an exploratory
study done by N. Top (2016), parents of adolescents (grade 5-12), were more inclined to limit
their sons amount of media usage compared to their daughters. Age was a determining factor of
all interventions that were studied. Parents were also more likely to monitor their younger
children’s media use. Socio-economic status was found to be a significant predictor in active
mediation of media usage. Low-income parents were less likely to limit their children’s time
with media. These types of predictors can help to understand the importance of culture in the
terms of media usage

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Obstacles of Parental mediation of Media Usage
As children get older, they seek independence and privacy. As teens and adolescents distance
themselves from their parents, it becomes more challenging for parents to protect the well-being
of their children through direct supervision and online mediation. As a parent, boundary setting
is important but can lead to tension between parents and teenagers. Erickson, Wisniewski, Xu,
Carroll, Rosson & Perkins (2016), performed a qualitative study of 12 parent-teen pairs, which
revealed five distinct challenges to parental online mediation: increased teen autonomy and
decreased parental control resulting from teens unmediated online access, teens are often more
knowledgeable about online spaces than parents, the use of physical boundaries by parents to
control online activity, an increase in indirect boundary control strategies, the blurring of lines in
virtual spaces between parents’ teens and teens’ friends.
Effects of Parental Monitoring
Research has shown evidence of multiple potentially negative effects of online media usage in
children and adolescents including cyberbullying, problematic sexual media, privacy concerns,
reduced family interaction and psychological problems. Accompanying these concerns is that of
overuse of online media, which may increase the risk of negative effects. A study done by
Bleakley, Ellithorpe, and Romer (2016) found that the issues of adolescents spending more time
online than anticipated, is common in the United States. Parental
mediation, and better relationship quality between the parents and adolescents were associated
with less problematic use. This study also showed that parents who monitored their adolescent’s
media use, which included blocking certain websites, restricting time and tracking internet use,
were less likely to report problematic behaviors. These results do not corroborate with other
studies, such as a study done by Sasson & Mesch (2014), which concluded restrictive parental

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supervision increased adolescents’ risky behavior online. A two-wave study by Nikken & Graaf
(2012), investigated if prior parental and friends’ influences on adolescents’ use of sexual media
shaped their sexual attitudes and online behaviors. Study results did not find that parents’
mediation activities of adolescents’ media use resulted in less online sexual behaviors. In
conclusion, this literature review has identified mixed results of the effectiveness of parental
mediation of online media usage in older children and adolescents. A gap in the literature
regarding parental perceptions and knowledge of how their mediation of online activity affects
the well-being of their children is apparent. Future research on this matter would promote a
better understanding of how parents can protect their children from the negative influences that
may occur from the use of online media and virtual spaces. Providing parents with the education
and tools will increase the likelihood that they will actively monitor social media activity of their
children. Monitoring can be promoted by introducing education about social media effects and
screening tools that can be easily used by parents of all demographic and socio-economic
backgrounds.
Study Process and Data
Study Design and Methods
Participants
The participants will include a convenient sample of parents and guardians of adolescents
between the ages of 12-17 years old that are active users of social media. Participants are
excluded if there is no internet access in the home, their adolescent does not use social media,
they do not live with the adolescent at least on a part-time basis, and they do not read or
understand the English language.

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Instrument
A 21-item pre-test, questionnaire survey and a 14-item post-test, questionnaire survey based
on the Parent’s Questionnaire used in the EU Kids Online II study (2010), will be used as the
evaluation instrument. Approval from the lead investigator of the EU Kids Online II study has
granted permission to use the survey questions. A web page has been developed that provides
education on the positive and negative effects of social media, strategies for parents/caregivers to
help monitor their adolescent’s social media behaviors, and links that will provide participants
with additional information related to specific monitoring strategies and programs. This web
page was developed on Wix platform, using evidence-based, published literature
Procedure
Prior to data collection, IRB approval was obtained from Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board and the administration of Family Practice Centers, PC.
This is a quantitative, descriptive study utilizing a pre-test, post-test design. A statement was
placed on the Facebook page of Family Practice Centers, PC that invited parents of adolescents
to complete the pre-test survey. Flyers were placed in the exam rooms in the Family Practice
clinic. A description of and a link to the survey was also placed on this author’s Facebook page.
Survey Monkey was used to create the survey. There is a space at the beginning of the survey
for the participant to provide their email address and electronically sign a consent to participate
in the study. There is link to the educational web page at the bottom that can be accessed upon
completion of the survey. A number will be assigned to each survey that will be used to match
both the pre- and post-educational survey responses, to ensure participant responses are matched

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correctly and protect each participants identification. A Survey Monkey post-test questionnaire
will be sent to each participant, via their email address, approximately 1 month after the initial
invitation is posted to the Facebook page. Responses will be retrieved by this author and
analyzed.
Survey Measures
Demographics. This section will include 6 questions regarding the participants’ age, level of
education, relationship to the participant, age and total number of children living in the
household.
Parental use of social media. Four questions about parental use of social media will be
evaluated using multiple choice answers.
Parental knowledge of adolescent use of social media. Four questions about adolescents use
of social media will be evaluated using multiple choice and “yes or no” responses.
Perception of Risk. This will be evaluated using “yes or no” responses to 4 questions about
how parents/guardians perceive risks regarding their adolescent’s use of social media.
Safety Interventions. Four questions about safety-related activities carried out by
parents/guardians will be evaluated using “yes” or “no” responses. Three questions related to
safety measures applied by parents will be evaluated using “yes” or “no” responses.
Post-test Survey
The post-test questionnaire will ask the participant the same questions on the pre-test survey
except for the demographic questions, to evaluate if there is a change in knowledge obtained, and
active monitoring strategies utilized that result from the educational web page.

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Data Collection
The method for data collection will be a web- based survey. The questionnaire will explore
parental demographic information, parents’ perceptions about the level of risk of social media
environments, and parents’ current strategies being used to protect their children from risks of
social media. Inclusion criteria was used to identify appropriate participants, such as an Englishspeaking parent/guardian of the adolescent. Also, the participant must use the Internet and know
what social media is, and their adolescent child must have access to the Internet. Data from the
questionnaire will be entered on a data collection form and then into a Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The SPSS program will be utilized for both storage and
analysis of the data.
Data Analysis
SPSS will be the tool used to analyze the data. Statistical analysis will be descriptive in
nature. I anticipate using frequencies to assess data in categories. Simple percentage and
frequencies will be calculated for the demographic information, parents’ perceptions about the
level of risk of social media environments and parents’ current strategies used to monitor social
media use. A statistician will be consulted to assist with data analysis. The data will have
specific codes using nominal definitions, to represent participant responses. After all data is
entered, it will be double-checked for accuracy.
Cleansing
The data will be cleansed to ensure errors are discovered early on. Any unanswered
questions and questions in which someone may have ticked more than one answer will be
removed, as part of the data cleansing process. The numbers will be reviewed that they are in the

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correct format in SPSS by setting limits on the data entry fields and not utilizing free text fields.
Next, All data will be will be checked to ensure all the variables are present when importing data
from the collection sheet into SPSS. Duplicated data from the same individual will not be
evaluated. Assessing the frequency of missing entries for each variable will also be performed.
Assessment of invalid values, such as incorrect value types and placing data in the wrong field,
will also be done to ensure efficient analysis.
Missing Data
Missing rows of data will be deleted prior to importing data into SPSS. I will determine if the
missing data will have an impact on the outcome of the data using my judgement, upon
completion of calculating the complete data. If the errors cannot be fixed, the data will be
removed.
Data Analysis and Study Results
The following sections present the data obtained from the pre-intervention and post-intervention
questionnaires. Thirty-seven pre-intervention (baseline) questionnaires were returned, via
SurveyMonkey, therefore 8 of these did not include any data, leaving 29 for the analysis (overall cohort).
Of these 29, there were 14 (48%) that completed the post-intervention questionnaire, which will be
referred to as the participants that completed both questionnaires (completers) sub-cohort. The 15 that did
not return a completed post-intervention questionnaire will be referred to as non-completers.
The study population was described using data from the baseline questionnaire and is presented for the
overall cohort and for the participants that completed the questionnaires sub-cohort. These results are
included in the series of tables below.
Table 1 describes the age, gender, and level of education of both the overall respondents compared to
those that completed both the pre- and post-intervention surveys. The level of the respondent’s confidence

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in their internet use is also evaluated here. Table 1 shows no difference when comparing those that
completed both questionnaires (n=14), to the overall study participants (n=29).

Table 1. Baseline questionnaire responses in overall study cohort (n=29) and completers (n=14)
Overall cohort
Completed both
N=29
questionnaires
N=14
Age of respondent
25-34
28% (n=8)
21% (n=3)
35-44
0% (n=0)
0% (n=0)
55-64
66% (n=19)
71% (n=10)
45-54
7% (n=2)
7% (n=1)
Gender of respondent
Female
93% (n=27)
93% (n=13)
Relationship to child
Parent
93% (n=27)
93% (n=13)
Child with age 6-11?
Yes
24% (n=7)
14% (n=2)
Child with age 12-17?
Yes
79% (n=23)
86% (n=12)
Child with age 18+?
Yes
28% (n=8)
43% (n=6)
Highest education
High school grad
7% (n=2)
0% (n=0)
Secondary diploma
28% (n=8)
29% (n=4)
Undergraduate degree
31% (n=9)
21% (n=2)
Graduate degree
34% (n=10)
50% (n=7)
Confidence in internet use
Somewhat
10% (n=3)
21% (n=3)
Very
38% (n=11)
29% (n=4)
Extremely
52% (n=15)
50% (n=7)

Table 2 describes things that the parents or caregiver worry about in relation to their child. There was
no significant difference between what the respondents worried about when they took the pre-intervention
questionnaire, as opposed to their concerns after completing the post-intervention questions.

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Table 2. Thinking about your child, which of these things, if any, do you worry about?
Overall cohort
N=29
How they are doing in school?
Being treated in a hurtful way by other children
Drinking alcohol/taking drugs
Seeing inappropriate material on the Internet
Being contacted by strangers on the Internet
Their sexual activities
Getting into trouble with the police
Being injured on the roads
None of these

66% (n=19)
48% (n=14)
34% (n=10)
31% (n=9)
41% (n=12)
17% (n=5)
7% (n=2)
41% (n=12)
3% (n=1)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
71% (n=10)
57% (n=8)
50% (n=7)
29% (n=4)
50% (n=7)
29% (n=4)
14% (n=2)
64% (n=9)
0% (n=0)

Table 3 evaluates the parent or caregiver knowledge of where the child uses the internet. None of
these were different when comparing those that completed the second questionnaire (n=14) to those that
did not (n=15) except “His or her bedroom at home”, which was higher in non-completers (100% vs 71%,
Fisher’s exact test p-value = 0.042).
Table 3. As far as you are aware, in which of these places does your child use the internet?
Overall cohort
Completed both
N=29
questionnaires
N=14
His or her own bedroom at home*
86% (n=25)
71% (n=10)
Living room (or other public room) at home
97% (n=28)
93% (n=13)
At school or college
90% (n=12)
93% (n=14)
In an internet café
4% (n=1)
0% (n=0)
In a public library or other public place
46% (n=13)
57% (n=8)
At a friend's home
76% (n=22)
71% (n=10)
At a relative's home
76% (n=22)
71% (n=10)
When "out and about" (e.g. phone, iPod, iPad, Tablet)
93% (n=27)
93% (n=13)

Table 4 describes they types of things that parents or caregivers at least sometimes do with their child
regarding internet safety. There was no significant difference between findings from the preinterventional questionnaire and the post-interventional questionnaire of all the study participants and
those that completed both questionnaires.

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22

Table 4. Which of the following things, if any, do you (or your partner/other caregiver) sometimes do
with your child?
Overall cohort
N=29
Talk to child/teen about what they are doing on the
internet
Sit with them while they use the internet (watching what
they do but no really joining in)
Stay nearby when they use the internet
Encourage child/teen to explore and learn things on the
internet on their own
Do shared activities together with your child/teen on the
internet

100% (n=29)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
100% (n=14)

66% (n=19)

64% (n=9)

76% (n=22)
83% (n=24)

64% (n=9)
86% (n=12)

72% (n=21)

71% (n=10)

Table 5 identifies what interventions the parents or caregivers utilize to check the child’s internet
activities. There were no significant differences noted between the pre-intervention and post-intervention
results.
Table 5. When your child uses the internet at home, do you (or your partner/other caregiver) sometimes
check any of the following things afterwards?
Overall cohort
N=29
Parental controls or other means of blocking or filtering
some types of websites. This meaning, something that
stops your child/teen from visiting certain websites or
that stops some kinds of activities on the internet
Parental controls or other means of keeping track of the
websites they visit. This meaning, something that keeps a
record of the websites your child visits so you can check
later what they did on the internet
A service or contract that limits the time your child
spends on the internet
Software to prevent spam or junk mail or viruses

48% (n=14)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
36% (n=5)

48% (n=14)

29% (n=4)

17% (n=5)

14% (n=2)

55% (n=16)

64% (n=9)

Table 6 examines if parents/caregivers feel that the interventions they use helps to make the child’s
internet use experience positive. There was no significant difference between those that took the preintervention questionnaire (overall cohort) compared to those that completed the post-intervention

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

23

questionnaire. The findings take into consideration study participants that did not complete the postintervention questionnaire.
Table 6. Do you think the things that you (and your partner/other caregiver) do relating to how your child
uses the internet, helps to make their internet experience better?
Overall cohort
N=29
No/Don’t know
Yes, a little
Yes, a lot

21% (n=6)
58% (n=17)
21% (n=6)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
21%% (n=3)
57% (n=8)
21% (n=3)

Table 7 identifies if parents/caregivers do anything different after they reviewed the social media
educational webpage. There was no difference when comparing the results of the pre-intervention and
post-intervention data.
Table 7. Do you or your partner/other caregiver do anything differently these days because your child
has been bothered by something on the internet in the past?
Overall cohort
N=29
No/Don’t know
Yes

79% (n=23)
21% (n=6)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
79% (n=11)
21% (n=3)

Table 8 evaluates to what extent parents or caregivers feel they can help their child deal with things on
the internet that are bothersome to them. The tablet provides data from the overall study participants and
participants that completed both questionnaires. No difference was noted.

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

24

Table 8. To what extent, if at all, do you feel you are able to help your child/teen to deal with anything
on the internet that bothers them?
Overall cohort
N=29
A little
A moderate amount
A lot
A great deal

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
14% (n=2)
36% (n=5)
21% (n=3)
29% (n=4)

10% (n=3)
28% (n=8)
31% (n=9)
31% (n=9)

Table 9 describes parents or caregivers’ awareness of their child/children’s behaviors and/or
experiences while using the internet. There was no significant difference between the awareness of study
participants that completed both questionnaires and the overall cohort of participants.

Table 9. In the past year, has your children done any of the following things, as far as you are aware?
Overall
cohort
N=29
Gone to a meeting with someone face to face that they first met on the
internet
Seen images on the internet that are obviously sexual- for example, showing
people naked or people having sex
Been treated in a hurtful or nasty way on the internet by another
child/teenager. (This includes being teased repeatedly in a way that they did
not like or being deliberately excluded or left out of things.
Seen or been sent sexual messages (e.g. words, pictures, or videos) on the
internet
Sent someone else sexual messages (e.g. words, pictures, or videos) on the
internet
Seen aggressive or violent images of people attacking or killing each other
on the internet. This could include characters in cartoons or games as well as
"real" people for example

7% (n=2)

Completed
both
questionnaires
N=14
7% (n=1)

31% (n=9)

29% (n=4)

24% (n=7)

29% (n=4)

17% (n=5)

14% (n=2)

3% (n=1)

7% (n=1)

72% (n=21)

86% (n=12)

Table 10 examines where parents or caregivers get information and advice about safe use of the
internet. There was no difference in where they obtain internet information when comparing the overall
study cohort to the cohort that completed the pre- and post- educational questionnaires.

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

25

Table 10. In general, where do you get information and advice on safety tools and safe use of the internet
from? (Choose all that apply)
Overall cohort
N=29
Your child's school
Television, radio, newspapers or magazines
Internet service providers
Government, local authorities
Children's welfare organizations/charities
Websites with safety information
Manufacturers and retailers selling the products
Family and friends
From my child/teen
Other sources
None, I don't get any information about this
Don't know

52% (n=15)
34% (n=10)
24% (n=7)
17% (n=5)
10% (n=3)
59% (n=8)
21% (n=6)
59% (n=17)
21% (n=6)
17% (n=5)
0% (n=0)
3% (n=1)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
50% (n=7)
21% (n=3)
14% (n=2)
21% (n=3)
0% (n=0)
57% (n=8)
29% (n=4)
50% (n=7)
21% (n=3)
29% (n=4)
0% (n=0)
0% (n=0)

Table 11 describes where parents/caregivers want to get information and advice about the internet in
the future. There was no significant difference between all the study participants and those that
completed both questionnaires.
Table 11. Where would you like to get information and advice about the internet in the future?
Overall cohort
N=29
Your child's school
Television, radio, newspapers or magazines
Internet service providers
Government, local authorities
Children's welfare organizations/charities
Websites with safety information
Manufacturers and retailers selling the products
Family and friends
From my child/teen
Other sources
None, I don't get any information about this
Don't know

38% (n=11)
21% (n=6)
24% (n=7)
21% (n=6)
17% (n=5)
38% (n=11)
28% (n=8)
17% (n=5)
21% (n=6)
24% (n=7)
14% (n=4)
17% (n=5)

Completed both
questionnaires
N=14
36% (n=5)
21% (n=3)
29% (n=4)
21% (n=3)
21% (n=3)
50% (n=7)
36% (n=5)
14% (n=2)
29% (n=4)
21% (n=3)
14% (n=2)
14% (n=2)

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

26

Change in Responses from Pre- to Post-Intervention
The analysis below was limited to the 14 respondents that completed both questionnaires both pre and
post intervention. The tables below include a comparison of pre-intervention responses to postintervention responses. For each individual question, the percentage with each response pre and post
intervention are compared using McNemar’s test (note that p-values < 0.05 are considered significant). In
addition to evaluating changes in each individual score, summary scores were quantified (when
applicable) by summing the number of items that were responded within a question section. These were
compared from pre to post intervention using a paired t-test.
Table 1. B. Confidence in internet use
Post-intervention
Pre-intervention
Somewhat
21% (n=3)
36% (n=5)
Very/extremely
79% (n=11)
64% (n=9)
Note that all respondents answered, “Every day” for “How often do you use the internet?”

p-value
0.157

Table 2.B. Thinking about your child, which of these things, if any, do you worry about?
How they are doing in school?
Being treated in a hurtful way by other children
Drinking alcohol/taking drugs
Seeing inappropriate material on the Internet
Being contacted by strangers on the Internet
Their sexual activities
Getting into trouble with the police
Being injured on the roads
Number of items from above, mean (SD)

Pre-intervention
71% (n=10)
57% (n=8)
50% (n=7)
29% (n=4)
50% (n=7)
29% (n=4)
14% (n=2)
64% (n=9)
3.6 (2.0)

Post-intervention
71% (n=10)
71% (n=10)
57% (n=8)
50% (n=7)
64% (n=9)
21% (n=3)
21% (n=3)
64% (n=9)
4.2 (1.6)

p-value
0.999
0.414
0.655
0.180
0.317
0.564
0.317
0.999
0.365

Table 3.B. As far as you are aware, in which of these places does your child use the internet? (Completed by
n=10 of the respondents)

His or her own bedroom at home
Living room (or other public room) at home
At school or college
In an internet café
In a public library or other public place
At a friend's home
At a relative's home

Pre-intervention
80% (n=8)
100% (n=10)
100% (n=10)
0% (n=0)
60% (n=6)
80% (n=8)
80% (n=8)

Post-intervention
90% (n=9)
100% (n=10)
100% (n=10)
0% (n=0)
40% (n=4)
80% (n=8)
80% (n=8)

p-value
0.317
0.317
0.999
0.999

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA
When "out and about" (e.g. phone, iPod, iPad, Tablet)
Number of items from above, mean (SD)

100% (n=10)
6.0 (1.5)

27
100% (n=10)
5.9 (1.4)

0.726

Table 4.B. Which of the following things, if any, do you (or your partner/other caregiver) sometimes do
with your child? (Completed by n=12 of the respondents)

Talk to child/teen about what they are doing on
the internet
Sit with them while they use the internet
(watching what they do but no really joining in)
Stay nearby when they use the internet
Encourage child/teen to explore and learn things
on the internet on their own
Do shared activities together with your child/teen
on the internet
Number of items from above, mean (SD)

Pre-intervention
100% (n=12)

Post-intervention
75% (n=9)

p-value
0.248

58% (n=7)

75% (n=9)

0.317

67% (n=8)
83% (n=10)

83% (n=10)
75% (n=9)

0.157
0.564

67% (n=8)

67% (n=8)

0.999

3.8 (1.1)

3.8 (1.4)

0.999

Table 5.B. When your child uses the internet at home, do you (or your partner/other caregiver) sometimes
check any of the following things afterwards? (Completed by n=10 of the respondents)
Parental controls or other means of blocking or
filtering some types of websites. This meaning,
something that stops your child/teen from
visiting certain websites or that stops some kinds
of activities on the internet
Parental controls or other means of keeping track
of the
websites they visit. This meaning, something that
keeps a record of the websites your child visits so
you can check later what they did on the internet
A service or contract that limits the time your
child spends on the internet
Software to prevent spam or junk mail or viruses
Number of items from above, mean (SD)

Pre-intervention
40% (n=4)

Post-intervention
50% (n=5)

p-value
0.317

30% (n=3)

40% (n=4)

0.317

10% (n=1)

10% (n=1)

0.999

60% (n=6)
1.4 (1.1)

70% (n=7)
1.7 (1.3)

0.564
0.279
30

Table 6.B. Do you (or your partner/other caregiver) do anything different these days because your child
has been bothered by something on the internet in the past?
No/Don’t know
Yes

Pre-intervention
79% (n=11)
21% (n=3)

Post-intervention
71% (n=10)
29% (n=4)

p-value
0.317

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28

Table 7.B. To what extent, if at all, do you feel you are able to help your child/teen to deal with anything
on the internet that bothers them?
A little, a moderate amount, or somewhat
A lot or a great deal

Pre-intervention
50% (n=7)
50% (n=7)

Post-intervention
36% (n=5)
64% (n=9)

p-value
0.317

Table 8.B. In the past year, has your child/teen done any of the following things, as far as you are aware?
(Completed by n=10 of the respondents)
Gone to a meeting with someone face to face that
they first met on the internet
Seen images on the internet that are obviously
sexual- for example, showing people naked or
people having sex
Been treated in a hurtful or nasty way on the
internet by another child/teenager. (This includes
being teased repeatedly in a way that they did not
like, or being deliberately excluded or left out of
things.
Seen or been sent sexual messages (e.g. words,
pictures or videos) on the internet
Sent someone else sexual messages (e.g. words,
pictures or videos) on the internet
Seen aggressive or violent images of people
attacking or killing each other on the internet.
This could include characters in cartoons or
games as well as "real" people for example
Number of items from above, mean (SD)

Pre-intervention
10% (n=1)

Post-intervention
10% (n=1)

p-value
0.999

30% (n=3)

10% (n=1)

0.157

30% (n=3)

40% (n=4)

0.564

20% (n=2)

40% (n=4)

0.157

10% (n=1)

0% (n=0)

0.999

80% (n=8)

90% (n=9)

0.317

1.8 (1.5)

1.9 (1.3)

0.780

Table 9.B. In general, where do you get information and advice on safety tools and safe use of the
internet from? (Choose all that apply)
Your child's school
Television, radio, newspapers or magazines
Internet service providers
Government, local authorities
Children's welfare organizations/charities
Websites with safety information
Manufacturers and retailers selling the products
Family and friends
From my child/teen

Pre-intervention
50% (n=7)
21% (n=3)
14% (n=2)
21% (n=3)
0% (n=0)
57% (n=8)
29% (n=4)
50% (n=7)
21% (n=3)

Post-intervention
43% (n=6)
43% (n=6)
29% (n=4)
14% (n=2)
21% (n=3)
36% (n=5)
14% (n=2)
21% (n=3)
14% (n=2)

p-value
0.564
0.180
0.157
0.317
0.248
0.180
0.157
0.103
0.655

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Other sources
None, I don't get any information about this

29% (n=4)
0% (n=0)

29
21% (n=3)
14% (n=2)

0.564
0.480

The following final question was included only within the post-intervention questionnaire:
Do you think the online Social Media Guide for Parents helped to increase your overall knowledge of
social media, and how to improve social media safety for your adolescent(s)?
*Of the 14 post-intervention respondents, there were 86% (n=12) that responded Yes.

Synthesis of Study
Discussion
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the social media educational
intervention on change in parent knowledge of their adolescents’ social media behaviors.
Online and digital devices bring new challenges for parents regarding monitoring and managing
their children’s online activities. Parents may be less familiar with the devices and do not
understand the different types of online activities, more specifically, social media that children
can access. Parents are generally in the best position to manage their children’s media use,
whether being viewed as opportunities, risks, or both (Livingstone, et al, 2015).
At the completion of the study, an increase in overall knowledge of social media was reported
in 86% of the respondents, suggesting that the intervention was helpful and worthwhile.
However, when evaluating change from pre to post intervention using the questionnaire, none of
the specific items were statistically significant. Similarly, when summarizing sections of
questions into a summary score, there were no significant changes from pre to post intervention.
However, several of these scores trended in the direction of improvement including: more items
that the parents/caregivers are worried about (increase from 3.6 to 4.2) and more ways that the
parents/caregivers check internet use (increase from 1.4 to 1.7).

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30

These findings are like the study by Sasson & Mensch (2017), that showed parents who used
technological means to control their child’s online activities were positively associated with
reduced online victimization. The other summary scores had little change when comparing pre to
post intervention (these included number of places child uses internet, number of items
parents/caregivers do with child regarding internet use, and number of potentially harmful
internet activities). Other individual items that trended in the hypothesized direction were the
percent of parents/caregivers that felt they are able to help their child/teen deal with things on
internet that bother them (increase form 50% to 64) and percent of parents/caregivers that do
something different these days because your child/teen has been bothered by something on the
internet (increase from 21% to 29%).
In the study performed by Erickson, et al (2015), parents that lacked knowledge of technology
expressed loss of control and inadequacy in monitoring of their adolescents’ online activities. It
is unclear if the lack of statistical significance is due to a small effect or due to the small sample
size that completed the pre and post intervention questionnaire. Since 86% reported that they
increased their knowledge and several responses suggested trends in the hypothesized direction,
we suspect that a larger sample size would reveal more conclusive and significant results.
Although the number of respondents was low, the subset that completed the final questionnaire
(n=14) appeared to be well representative of the overall cohort that completed the baseline
questionnaire (n=29).
Limitations and Conclusions
There are a few limitations worth noting of this study. First, the number of respondents of
both pre and post intervention surveys was small. The COVID-19 pandemic had directly
impacted the number of patients that were coming into the family practice clinic, therefore

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31

reducing parents/caregiver’s visibility of the flyers that were placed in the waiting room and
exam rooms advertising the study. Also, most of the respondents were females (93%), reducing
the ability to generalize “parental” involvement in social media monitoring interventions. Even
though mothers or female caregivers were much more likely to complete the survey, the fathers
or male caregiver thoughts and level of social media monitoring interventions, may not have
been considered. Another limitation is that this study is not representative of parents or
caregivers that do not have a Facebook account to learn about the survey nor could access it.
Finally, allowing more time for participants to review the social media educational webpage and
apply new monitoring strategies, prior to taking the post intervention survey, may have increased
the scores.
Our findings provide evidence to support that providing parents with educational tools,
increases parental knowledge of social media benefits, risks, and strategies they can use to
monitor their adolescent’s social media behaviors. With this said, our findings did not show a
statistically significant change in parental involvement in the monitoring of their adolescents
social media behaviors, but did show trending data that more parents worried about their children
being contacted by strangers, being treated in a hurtful way, using drugs or alcohol, school
performance and being injured on the roads. The use of social media can have negative
consequences on the health of adolescents (Durbin, et al., 2018). Teens are more vulnerable to
negative consequences of social media due to peer pressure and evolving developmental and
maturity levels (Guinta & John, 2018). Parental monitoring of social media behaviors may
reduce harmful consequences of adolescents.

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32

Recommendations
Utilizing a more diverse population of participants and a larger sample size would allow for
more accurate representation of the identified population. This study is limited in that it
determined if parents would be more involved in monitoring their children’s online behaviors if
they were educated how to do such. To reduce negative health effects from inappropriate use of
social media, future research should focus on identifying change in health outcomes due to
parents playing an active part in managing and monitoring their adolescent’s day to day social
media activities. Primary care providers play a pivotal role in promoting health and providing
education to patients to promote good health outcomes. For the adolescent patients, discussions
about social media usage should be included in preventative health counseling

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33

Appendix A: Pre and Post Survey Questionnaire
The following questions will be used in a pre-education survey to evaluate demographic data and current
social media monitoring strategies of parents. These questions were taken from The EU Kids Online II
Study (2010). Permission to use these questions has been granted by the lead investigator from the study.
The questions that are marked with * will also be used in the post-education survey.
Pre-education survey questions:
1. What is the age of your child/children? (Several answers possible-Choose all that apply)
A. 0-5 years
B. 6-11 years
C. 12-17 years
D. 18 and older

2. Does your child/children live in the same home as you at least on a part time basis?
A. Yes
B. No

3. What is your age?
A. 18-25
B. 25-40
C. 40-55
D. 55 and older

4. What is your gender?
A. Male
B. Female

5. What is your relationship to the selected child(ren)?
A. Father/Mother
B. Stepfather/Stepmother
C. Foster parent

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

D. Legal Guardian
6. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
A. Not completed high school
B. High School graduate
C. Secondary diploma or certificate
D. Undergraduate college degree
E. Graduate degree

7. Does your child have any of the following difficulties? (All that apply)
A. Physical disability
B. Mental health difficulty
C. Behavioral difficulty
D. Learning difficulty
E. Other disability
F. None of the above
G. Don’t know

8. * Thinking about your child, which of these things, if any, do you worry about a lot? (choose all that
apply)
A. How they are doing at school
B. Being treated in a hurtful or nasty way by other children
C. Drinking too much alcohol/taking drugs
D. Seeing inappropriate material on the intern
E. Being contacted by strangers on the internet
F. Their sexual activities
G. Being a victim of a crime
H. Getting into trouble with the police
I. Being injured on the roads
J. None of these
K. Don’t know

34

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA
9. Do you personally use the internet?
A. Yes
B. No

10. * Do you use the internet in any of these places? (choose all that apply)
A. At home
B. At work or college
C. From your mobile phone
D. Other

11. * How often do you use the internet?
A. Every day or almost every day
B. Once or twice a week
C. Once or twice a month
D. Less often
E. Don’t know

12.* How confident are you in using the internet?
A. Not at all confident
B. Not very confident
C. Fairly confident
D. Very confident

35

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36

13.* As far as you are aware, in which of these places does your child use the internet? Please say yes or
no to each of the following:

Yes
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H

No

Don’t
know

His or her own bedroom (or other private room) at home
Living room (or other public room) at home
At school or college
In an internet café
In a public library or other public place
At a friend’s home
At a relative’s home
When “out and about” (e.g. via a mobile phone, iPod Touch, iPad,
Tablet)

14.* Which of the following things, if any, do you (or your partner/other caregiver) sometimes do with
your child? (Choose all that apply)
Yes
A
B
C
D
E

No

Don’t
know

Talk to him/her about what he/she does on the internet
Sit with him/her while he/she uses the internet (watching what he/she
is doing but not really joining in)
Stay nearby when he/she uses the internet
Encourage your child to explore and learn things on the internet on
their own
Do shared activities together with your child on the internet

15. * When your child uses the internet at home, do you (or your partner/other caregiver) sometimes
check any of the following things afterwards?
Yes
A

B

C
D

Parental controls or other means of blocking or filtering
some types of websites. This meaning, something that
stops your child visiting certain websites or that stops
some kinds of activities on the internet
Parental controls or other means of keeping track of the
websites they visit. This meaning, something that keeps a
record of the websites your child visits so you can check
later what he/she did on the internet
A service or contract that limits the time your child spends
on the internet
Software to prevent spam or junk mail or viruses

No

Don’t Not
know applicable

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA
16.* Do you think the things that you (and your partner/other care-giver) do relating to how your child
uses the internet help to make his/her internet experience better, or not really?
A. Yes, a lot
B. Yes, a little
C. No
D. Don’t know

17.* Do you (or your partner/other caregiver) do anything different these days because your child has
been bothered by something on the internet in the past, or not really?
A. Yes, a lot
B. Yes, a little
C. No
D. Don’t know

18. * To what extent, if at all, do you feel you are able to help your child to deal with anything on the
internet that bothers them?
A. Not at all
B. Not very much
C. A fair amount
D. A lot
E. Don’t know

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38

19.* For the following things, please choose one answer for each. In the past year, has your child done
any of the following things, as far as you are aware?
Yes No
A
B
C

D

E
F
G

Don’t know

Gone to a meeting with someone face to face that he/she first met
on the Internet
Seen images on the internet that are obviously sexual-for
example, showing people naked or people having sex
Been treated in a hurtful or nasty way on the internet by another
teenager. (This includes being teased repeatedly in a way that
he/she did not like, or being deliberately excluded or left out of
things
Treated another child or teenager in a hurtful or nasty way on the
internet This includes having teased someone repeatedly in a way
he/she did not like, or threatened, or deliberately excluded or left
them out of things
Seen or been sent sexual messages (e.g. words, pictures or
videos) on the internet
Sent someone else sexual messages (e.g. words, pictures or
videos) on the internet
Seen aggressive or violent images of people attaching or killing
each other on the internet. This could include characters in
cartoons or games as well as “real” people for example

20.* In general where do you get information and advice on safety tools and safe use of the internet from?
(Choose all that apply)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
k
L

Your child’s school
Television, radio, newspapers or magazines
Internet service providers
Government, local authorities
Children’s welfare organizations/charities
Websites with safety information
Manufacturers and retailers selling the products
Family and friends
From my child
Other sources
None, I don’t get any information about this
Don’t know

IMPROVING PARENTAL MONITORING OF SOCIAL MEDIA
21. * Where would you like to get information and advice from in the future?
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

Your child’s school
Television, radio, newspapers or magazines
Internet service providers
Government, local authorities
Children’s welfare organizations/charities
Websites with safety information
Manufacturers and retailers selling the products
Family and friends
From my child
Other sources
None, I don’t want more information about this
Don’t know

Questions with * will be repeated in the post-survey questionnaire

39

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40

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