The effects of parental psychological control, Internet addiction, anxiety, and depression on online deviant behavior: a latent profile analysis

This study examined how parental psychological control influences online deviant behavior and explored the mediating roles of Internet addiction, anxiety, and depression. A total of 876 adults (mean age = 23.04 ± 8.49 years; 616 women) participated in the study. Latent profile analysis identified subgroups of individuals based on perceptions of parental psychological control, Internet addiction, and emotional distress. Three distinct profiles emerged: a low negative-factor subgroup (31.8%), a medium subgroup (44.8%), and a high subgroup (23.5%). The three profiles differed significantly in levels of online deviant behavior, with higher negative factors associated with more deviant behavior. Males and only-child participants were more likely to belong to the high negative-factor subgroup compared with females and non–only-child participants. Internet addiction, anxiety, and depression jointly mediated the association between parental psychological control and online deviant behavior. In the low negative-factor subgroup, both direct and indirect effects were significant. In contrast, direct effects were non-significant in the medium and high subgroups, although indirect effects via Internet addiction and emotional distress remained significant. Conclusion Parental psychological control presents in three distinct forms, each showing different patterns of association with online deviant behavior. Internet addiction and emotional distress were differentially related to these profiles and to online deviant behavior, suggesting that they may represent important correlates linking psychologically controlling parenting to maladaptive online behaviors. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of heterogeneity in parental psychological control and its potential associations with adolescents’ online maladjustment.