A process model of parental monitoring (PM) proposes that PM occurs in two distinct
stages: before the adolescent goes out and when they return home. Parental and
adolescent responses to monitoring interactions impact on future monitoring episodes.
Research suggests that passive PM strategies (e.g. child disclosure) correlate with
higher parental knowledge and less behavior problems. Self-reported measures were
used on a sample of 507 Belgrade secondary school students (42.1% male) to examine
the mediating effect (mediation analysis using JASP) of parental knowledge (the Scale
of Parental Monitoring) on the relationship of PM strategies (Child Disclosure, Parental
Solicitation and Parental Control) (the Scale of Parental Monitoring) with externalising
problems (Aggressive and Rule-Breaking Behaviour) (ASEBA, YSR). The research results
show that Parental Knowledge mediate the relation of Child Disclosure and RuleBreaking Behaviour (z = -6.544, p < .001) and Parental Control and Rule-Breaking
Behaviour (z =-3.770, p< .001). No direct link between Parental Control and RuleBreaking Behavior, as well as Parental Solicitation and Rule-Breaking Behavior were
established. Full mediation of the link between Child Disclosure and Aggressive Behavior by Parental Knowledge is found (total indirect effect z = -4.050, p < .001). The research
results were discussed in the context of the relevance of the PM strategies for greater
parental knowledge and prevention of externalising problems in adolescence
