engleski

Stress as trigger for risky online behavior in adolescents

Adolescents belong to the riskiest group of information communication users and stress is well-known trigger for different real-life risky behaviors, i.e. drugs, violence, etc. But the role of stress in online risky behavior is still not sufficiently studied. The aim of study was check the mediating role of stress in associations between real-life risky behaviors, information security knowledge and life satisfaction with risky online behavior. Participants were students (N=883, 40.5% male and 59.5% female) with average age of M=21.93 years (SD=4.29). They fill out Users’ Information Security Awareness Questionnaire, Youth self-reported delinquency and risk behaviors questionnaire, Life satisfaction scale and Perceived Stress Scale. Regression analysis had shown mediating role of stress (F(4, 799)=17.24, p<0.01, ΔR2=0.01). Stress had partially mediating role in in association of real-life risky behavior (β1=0.089, p<0.02 , β2=0.097, p<0.01) and information security knowledge (β1=0.239, p<0.01 , β2=0.247, p<0.01) with online risky behavior whereas stress strengthened these associations. For association between life satisfaction and risky online behavior stress had full mediating role (β1=-0.084, p<0.05 , β2=-0.022, p>0.05) whereas in presence of stress this association became statistically non-significant. It can be concluded that in some real-life situations stress can be trigger for risky online behavior in adolescents.

stress ; online risky behavior ; risk factors ; protective factors ; mediation

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