Effect of Digital Safety Interventions on Parental Practices in Safeguarding Children’s Digital Activities: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> The prevalence of and growth in digital technology present opportunities for educational and social enrichment; however, there are also many health and digital safety risks for children engaging with digital technology. While there is a growing body of research on digital safety programs to enhance children’s digital safety through parental support, evidence regarding the effectiveness of such interventions remains limited. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of digital safety interventions on parental practices related to safeguarding children’s digital activities. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> The review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews and has been reported in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed in May 2024 in MEDLINE, CINAHL Ultimate, PsycINFO, Web of Science, The Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, ProQuest Central, and IEEE Xplore databases to identify peer reviewed articles that were (1) published in English, (2) included parents as participants, and (3) reported on programs or interventions designed to enhance parents’ knowledge and skills to safeguard children’s digital safety. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> A total of 11 published studies between 2012 and 2024 were included in the review. Data from 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis. A significant effect (Hedges &lt;i&gt;g&lt;/i&gt;=–0.47; 95% CI –0.85 to –0.08; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&amp;lt;.001) was observed in children’s screen time in the 5 randomized controlled studies, while a large effect size was observed in 3 quasi-experimental studies (Hedges &lt;i&gt;g&lt;/i&gt;=1.90; 95% CI –4.36 to 8.16; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&amp;lt;.001). A substantial level of heterogeneity was evident in the randomized studies (&lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;=87.95%). The quasi-experimental studies exhibited no heterogeneity (&lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;=0%). Overall, parents’ digital safety knowledge and skills improved as a result of the digital safety interventions. Notably, children’s screen time (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;=.04) and parents’ own screen time (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;=.001) decreased following the digital safety intervention. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Parents who participate in digital safety interventions report higher levels of knowledge and skills related to digital safety, as well as a shift in attitudes, including the intention to implement strategies to safeguard their children engaging with technology. The enhanced knowledge and skills reported in these studies led to measurable reductions in both parents’ and children’s screen time. Future research should identify strategies that address community norms and other digital safety risks beyond screen time and bullying, which were predominant outcomes in these studies. </sec>