Longitudinal Associations Between Child‐To‐Parent Violence, Problematic Internet Use, and Depression

ABSTRACT

This study addresses the research gap concerning the longitudinal relationship between problematic online behaviours and child‐to‐parent violence (CPV). It examined reciprocal associations among problematic internet use, CPV, and depression in 1256 adolescents ( M _age  = 15.35; SD = 1.11, 57.6% girls) from Bizkaia, Spain who provided data in at least one of three measurement waves, spaced six months apart. Using random intercept cross‐lagged panel models, between‐person analyses showed significant associations between CPV and problematic internet use. Within‐person analyses indicated that increases in adolescents' typical levels of problematic internet use consistently predicted increases in CPV and depressive symptoms. Although between‐person associations were similar across genders, several cross‐lagged paths were statistically significant only among girls. Furthermore, separate models for CPV against mothers and fathers revealed that these longitudinal effects were significant only for aggression against mothers. These findings contribute to understanding how online environments may influence the development of CPV.