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Paternal Monitoring: The Relationship Between Online and In-Person Solicitation and Youth Outcomes

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Abstract

Despite extensive literature on parental monitoring, few studies have focused on father-youth solicitation in particular and none on solicitation via communication technology. To address this gap, this study explored the relationships between fathers’ online and in-person solicitation of their adolescent and emerging adult children, and the youth’s internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. A sample of US fathers (N = 158) reported on solicitation patterns, use of technology, and their child’s behaviors. The results revealed differences by demographics, and an inverse trend between online and in-person solicitation in relation to internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. Regression analyses revealed that online solicitation of information from the youth’s friends was related to greater internalizing and externalizing, and less prosocial behavior. These findings support research suggesting that some forms of online solicitation may be interpreted by adolescents and emerging adults as intrusive and a violation of privacy.

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Authors’ Contributions

HH conceived of the study, performed the statistical analysis, and drafted the manuscript; YH participated in the interpretation of the data and contributed to the writing; JD participated in the design and coordination of the study, and contributed to the writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by a Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station grant to the third author.

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  1. Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, 290 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Heather Hessel, Yaliu He & Jodi Dworkin

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  1. Heather Hessel
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  2. Yaliu He
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  3. Jodi Dworkin
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Correspondence to Heather Hessel.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Hessel, H., He, Y. & Dworkin, J. Paternal Monitoring: The Relationship Between Online and In-Person Solicitation and Youth Outcomes. J Youth Adolescence 46, 288–299 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0490-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0490-6

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