Parental media monitoring and children's internalising and externalising behaviours: The role of consistency

Children's internalising and externalising behaviours have been widely studied due to their implications for socioemotional development. Although media use has been identified as a relevant contextual factor, growing evidence suggests that parenting practices play a critical role in shaping how media engagement relates to behavioural outcomes. This study examines the associations between parental media monitoring strategies and internalising and externalising behaviours in a community sample of 411 Portuguese middle-school children aged 10 to 12 years. Data were collected using child- and parent-reported questionnaires. Multiple regression analyses revealed that inconsistent parental monitoring significantly influenced both externalising and internalising behaviours across informants, even after controlling for demographic factors. Sex and socioeconomic indicators were also associated with behavioural outcomes. These findings highlight the central role of consistency in parental media monitoring and suggest that the quality of parental supervision is crucial for understanding children's behavioural adjustment in digital contexts.