Longitudinal relationships between school assets, traditional bullying, and internet gaming disorder: the role of self-control and intentional self-regulation among Chinese adolescents.

Introduction: Although developmental assets have been proven to be enabling factors for both adolescent traditional bullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD), there is a lack of empirical evidence that has investigated the direct relationship between school assets and both of these problematic behaviors concurrently. Based on the positive youth development (PYD) perspective, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between school assets, intentional self-regulation (ISR), self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD among Chinese adolescents. Methods: A total of 742 middle school students (Mage = 13.88 years, SD = 1.99 years) were followed up to measure school assets, ISR, self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD in two waves that were separated by 5 months. Results: Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that T1 school assets negatively predicted T2 traditional bullying and T2 IGD. T1 self-control significantly mediated the relationships between T1 school assets and T2 traditional bullying, as well as between T1 school assets and T2 IGD. Additionally, T1 ISR strengthened the positive effect of T1 school assets on T1 self-control and further moderated the two mediating paths. Discussion: These findings show that plentiful school assets support the development of self-control and are more successful in reducing traditional bullying and IGD, particularly among students with higher ISR. As a result, schools should take measures to provide superior-quality assets for the positive development of youth, which will help to prevent and relieve traditional bullying and IGD in the school context.

Positive youth development attributes, mental disorder, and problematic online behaviors in adolescents: a longitudinal study amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents have increasingly suffered from online problem behaviors and mental disorders. But little research has paid attention to the protective factors among adolescents. Therefore, the present study attempted to investigate the role of positive youth development (PYD) attributes in adolescents' depression, internet gaming disorder (IGD) and cyberbullying/victimization (CBV). Methods: A total of 995 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.97 years, SD = 0.77, 325 boys) from two public high schools in Hubei province were recruited to participate in the three-wave longitudinal study over the span of 1 year during the pandemic (Time 1: November, 2020; Time 2: May, 2021; Time 3: November, 2021). Results: T1 PYD attributes negatively predicted T2 depression and T3 online problematic behaviors. T2 depression positively predicted IGD at T3. T3 IGD significantly predicted greater involvement in T3 CBV, and vice versa. Moreover, depression and one online problem behavior mediated the relationships between PYD attributes and the other online problem behavior, separately and sequentially. Discussion: These findings demonstrated the protective role of PYD attributes in prevention of mental disorders and online problem behaviors among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprehensive measures should be taken to assist young people to develop more PYD attributes to promote healthy growth.

The relationship between parental neglect and cyberbullying perpetration among Chinese adolescent: The sequential role of cyberbullying victimization and internet gaming disorder.

Cyberbullying perpetration and victimization have been common public health issues that have impaired the development of adolescent physical and mental health. Abundant research has proven associations between negative parental factors and cyberbullying perpetration. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the impact of parental neglect on cyberbullying and its internal mechanisms. Based on the parental acceptance-rejection theory (PARTheory) and the general aggression model (GAM), the present study constructs a sequential mediation model in which parental neglect is related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration through cyberbullying victimization and internet gaming disorder (IGD). Using random cluster sampling, a total of 699 middle school students (M age = 14.18 years, SD = 1.22, and 324 boys) were recruited from five schools in three provinces on mainland China. The participants completed questionnaires regarding parental neglect, cyberbullying perpetration, cyberbullying victimization, and IGD. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that parental neglect was positively associated with cyberbullying perpetration. The mediating effects of cyberbullying victimization and IGD in this relationship are significant both individually and jointly. The current findings have important implications for enlightening families and schools to pay particular attention to adolescents' experiences of parental neglect and provide them with timely feedback and assistance. This will contribute to the prevention and reduction of adolescent involvement in cyberbullying perpetration.

Cyberbullying and internet gaming disorder in Chinese youth: The role of positive youth development attributes.

Introduction: As digital natives, young people enjoy the convenience and benefits of the internet but also suffer from unique developmental problems of this age, such as cyberbullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD). Research suggests that these online problem behaviors enjoy high prevalence and various negative impacts. To prevent or intervene, this study attempts to explore the association between cyberbullying and IGD and the potential protectors from the positive youth development (PYD) perspective. Methods: Through the convenience sampling method, a sample of 463 Chinese adolescents was recruited and participated in the survey. They completed a questionnaire regarding PYD attributes, cyberbullying, IGD, and demographic information. Results: After controlling adolescents' sex and age, results of regression analyses indicated that cyberbullying was positively associated with IGD; PYD attributes had negative cumulative effects on cyberbullying and IGD; and cyberbullying and IGD were negatively related to PYD attributes. Moreover, the mediating effect of PYD attributes was significant in the relationship between cyberbullying and IGD. Discussion: Specifically, it is very possible for adolescents who have experienced one online problem behavior to suffer from another one. Fortunately, positive personal attributes could effectively buffer this cascading effect. These findings may provide theoretical and practical guidance for practitioners that improving PYD attributes may be a promising approach to prevent or reduce adolescent cyberbullying and IGD.

The relationship between positive youth development and internet gaming disorder in Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a social problem that cannot be ignored. Considerable research has shown that IGD can impede the healthy physical and mental development of adolescents. Based on positive youth development theory and stage-environment fit theory, the current study explored the mediating effect of depression and the moderating effect of gender to determine the association between positive youth development (PYD) and IGD. A sample of 1970 Chinese adolescents aged 11-18 years (1021 boys, 940 girls, and 10 unidentifiable individuals) completed questionnaires related to PYD, depression, IGD, and their background information. The results revealed that PYD negatively predicted IGD. After controlling for gender and age, this study found that depression mediated the relationship between PYD and IGD. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationship between depression and IGD. Boys with depressive symptoms were more likely to indulge in IGD than girls. This research contributes to a more thorough understanding of how PYD decreases the risk of IGD. These findings suggest that cultivating PYD attributes is a promising approach to prevent or reduce depression and IGD among adolescents in mainland China.

School assets and bullying in Chinese youth: A multiple mediation model of intentional self-regulation and internet gaming disorder.

Bullying is a severe social problem affecting young people all over the world. Previous studies suggested that engagement in bullying had massive effects on teenagers' physical and psychological development. It is critical and necessary to investigate the antecedents and underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon among young generations. The present study, based on the positive youth development perspective and the developmental assets theory, attempts to explore the positive factors in the school subsystem that could effectively prevent adolescents from bullying, as well as the multiple mediation effects of intentional self-regulation (ISR) and internet gaming disorder (IGD). In this study, we adopted a two-wave design and recruited a sample of 768 Chinese adolescents using a randomized cluster sampling method in the post-pandemic era. The results revealed that T1 school assets significantly and negatively predicted T2 adolescent bullying. Furthermore, T2 ISR and T2 IGD mediated the association between T1 school assets and T2 bullying separately and sequentially. Overall, school resources play a protective role in adolescent development and could effectively prevent them from negative outcomes. These current findings contribute to the literature by providing a further understanding of the direct and indirect protective effects of school assets on adolescent bullying. Moreover, practitioners could also benefit from these findings in preventing and intervening in bullying in the school subsystem.

School resources, self-control and problem behaviors in Chinese adolescents: a longitudinal study in the post-pandemic era.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought many challenges to youth development. During this specific period, adolescents have suffered from numerous behavioral problems, which will lead to more maladaptive consequences. It is necessary to explore several protective factors to prevent or reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in adolescence. The current study combined school resources and self-control to evaluate the multiple protective effects on adolescents' problematic behaviors in a two-wave longitudinal study. A sample of 789 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.00 years, SD = 2.05, 418 boys) were recruited via the random cluster sampling method to participate in the survey. The results confirmed the assumptions about the multiple protective effects of school resources and self-control on adolescents' problem behaviors. Specifically, school resources could negatively predict IGD and victimization, and self-control mediated these associations. Moreover, one problematic behavior could also mediate the associations between self-control and another problematic behavior. This is the first study to focus on the multiple protective effects of positive factors on adolescents' problem behaviors during the post-pandemic period, which has made several contributions to the literature and practice.