Parental Privacy Invasions and Children’s Defensive Behaviors at Home and Away at College: Mediated Communication and Boundary Management

• In Event: Young Adults' Relationships with Family

Abstract

This manuscript reports an empirical study aimed at understanding parental privacy invasions and children’s defensive behaviors via mediated communication. Results indicate college students and their parents manage privacy boundaries via mediated communication, albeit less frequently than suggested by recent administrator concerns. Overall, parental privacy invasions occurred much less frequently than in a similar study conducted by Petronio (1994), though telephone invasion at home was particularly associated with invasive behavior when away at college.

Authors

• Andrew Ledbetter, Ohio University

• Sarah Heiss, Ohio University

• Kenneth Sibal, Ohio University

• Eimi Lev, Ohio University

• Michele Battle-Fisher, Ohio State University

• Natalie Shubert, Ohio University