Parenting methods and self-efficacy of parents in supervising children’s use of mobile devices: The case of Hong Kong

Abstract

This article examines the issue of parental self-efficacy in guiding and supervising children to use mobile devices in Hong Kong. Data were collected from a sample of 1,561 students and 1,233 of their parents. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that the frequency with which parents adopted involvement as a parenting method and the frequency of minor parent–child conflicts triggered by parental supervision were significantly associated with parental self-efficacy in supervising children to use mobile devices. Findings suggest that support for parents to adopt involvement methods more frequently and better manage parent–child conflicts are crucial in enhancing their self-efficacy.