Playing by the Rules: Parental Mediation of Video Game Play

Abstract

This study examined parental mediation of children’s video game play in an Internet survey of 433 parents of children aged 5 to 18 years. We assessed the valence of active mediation (i.e., positive, negative, neutral) and the relationship between parental involvement and mediation techniques. Furthermore, we explored whether parental mediation was associated with child delinquency. Our results demonstrate that active mediation is generally negative or neutral in nature. Involved parents were more likely to use each mediation strategy than less involved parents; however, parental involvement did not predict negative mediation. Restrictive and negative mediation were significantly related to child delinquency. In sum, the findings show that parents are involved in monitoring their children’s use of this medium, just as they are with television.