Document Type

Article

Author ORCID Identifier

Arezou Behfar  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8547-7868  

Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5764-2253

Journal/Book Title/Conference

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

Volume

42

Issue

15

Publisher

Taylor & Francis Inc.

Publication Date

12-23-2025

Journal Article Version

Accepted Manuscript

First Page

1

Last Page

46

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Abstract

The rapid rise in social media use among teens necessitates ensuring their safety from online threats such as cyberbullying. Parents play a critical role here, yet struggle to stay informed about evolving online risks due to limited digital literacy. These challenges are intensified by teens’ desire for autonomy restricting parental involvement. To address these gaps, our study examines the challenges parents face when responding to online threats targeting their children and explores opportunities for improving communication and collaboration with support systems, including schools and peer groups. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 parents in the USA, each with a child aged 13–17, to understand how they engage with key stakeholders to mitigate social media risks. Our findings highlight the distinct roles these stakeholders play, with schools offering technical knowledge and peer groups sharing insights. We conclude with recommendations on multi-stakeholder educational platforms and parent–school communication applications.

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