Mechanisms linking parents’ education level to adolescent gaming disorder among Chinese Special School students: serial mediating effects of emotional abuse experience and psychopathy

There is limited research on the predictors of gaming disorder for parents regarding educational background. In particular, research conducted in settings similar to ours has identified gaming disorder as a significant risk factor for behaviors associated with juvenile delinquency. This article proposes and tests hypotheses that the father’s and mother’s education levels were related to adolescent gaming disorder in adolescents in Chongqing, China. We used data from a census of Special School students to examine the association between parents’ education and adolescent gaming addiction. The participants were 378 Special School students (10.6% female, aged 10–18 years). The participants completed the paper-and-pencil questionnaire provided in this study, and 378 questionnaires were returned. Mediation analyses were used to assess both the direct and indirect effects. The findings indicated a significant negative and indirect association between higher mother’s education level and adolescent gaming disorder, which is serially mediated by emotional abuse and psychopathy (bp = − .001, p < .05). In contrast, the effect of a father’s education level on adolescent gaming disorders was not statistically significant. Promoting mothers’ education level through educational activities has a positive impact on reducing adolescent gaming disorders. Focusing on women’s education can help alleviate the current situation of adolescent gaming addiction in society.