Social Media Parenting as Digital Protective Parenting: The Roles of Cybersecurity Awareness and Cyberbullying Sensitivity

The increasing integration of digital technologies into family life has altered parenting behaviors, bringing concepts such as social media parenting (SMP), cybersecurity, and cyberbullying to the fore. Despite growing concerns about online risks, research examining these issues within a broader parenting framework is still in its infancy. This study investigated the relationships between parents’ SMP, cybersecurity, and sensitivity to cyberbullying. The research was conducted using a quantitative design with parents from various provinces across Turkey. Data were collected using the SMP Scale, the Personal Cybersecurity Provision Scale, and the Cyberbullying Sensitivity Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed using SPSS 25 and AMOS. The findings revealed that SMP positively predicted both cybersecurity and cyberbullying sensitivity. Furthermore, cybersecurity was found to positively predict cyberbullying sensitivity, mediating the relationship between SMP and cyberbullying sensitivity. These results suggest that SMP could be a form of digital protective parenting, enhancing parents’ awareness of online risks and sensitivity to cyberbullying. This study contributes to the literature by integrating SMP, cybersecurity, and sensitivity to cyberbullying within a digital parenting model.