Problematic Internet Use and Child-To-Parent Violence: Associations Between Social Media Use, Gaming, and Abusive Behaviours Toward Parents

Abstract

Problematic internet use (PIU) has been linked to adverse outcomes in adolescence, but its association with child-to-parent violence (CPV) has rarely been examined. This study investigated whether problematic social media use and problematic gaming were associated with CPV in a school-based sample of Swedish adolescents and young adults. In bivariate analyses, both PIU domains showed dose-response associations with verbal aggression, coercive behaviour, and physical violence toward mothers and fathers. In stepwise multivariable models predicting any abuse toward either parent, the associations were attenuated after adjustment for demographic, individual and family-related risk factors. Girls reported more problematic social media use and boys more problematic gaming, but the pattern of associations did not differ by gender. Overall, PIU may be better understood as an indicator of broader psychosocial and family risk than as a strong independent driver of CPV, although conflicts around internet use may still contribute to escalation in some families.