Abstract:
This study aims to id explore the effect of playing electronic games on aggressive behavior and its relationship to the styles of parental treatment among a sample of lower basic stage students in governmental schools in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate from the parents' point of view in relation to the independent variables (gender, parental work, educational qualification, number of children and the average daily use of electronic games).The researcher used the descriptive correlational design on a sample of (353) parents chosen through the stratified random sampling during the academic year 2019/2020. The results showed that the effect of playing electronic games on aggressive behavior was moderate at a rate of (58.6 %), and that the most prominent parental treatment styles were ranked in a descending order as follows: the democratic style scored a high rate of (84.0%), the independent style scored a moderate rate of (72.2%),the dictatorial style scored a medium rate of (61.4%) and the rejection style scored a medium rate of (59.8%). The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the average of the effect of playing electronic games due to the variables (educational qualification, the level of parents' income, and parents’ job).However, the results showed statistically significant differences due to the gender variable in favor of the males, and the variable of the number of children in favor of four children or more, and the variable of rate of playing games in favor of more than two hours. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the averages of parental treatment styles due to the variables (parents’ job, parents’ income, and the average daily use of electronic games). On the other hand, there were statistically significant differences with reference to gender in relation with the rejection and dictatorial style in favor of the males, whereas in the democratic style, the differences were in favor of the females. With regard to the educational qualification variable the differences were in favor of the diploma, BA and postgraduate studies. In terms of the number of children variable the differences were in favor of two children, three children, and four children or more. The results also showed a low correlational relation with non- statistical differences between the effect of playing electronic games on the aggressive behavior and the democratic style, whereas the relationship was negative and reciprocal. Nevertheless, there were statistically significant differences between the independent style, rejection and dictatorial style. The results, furthermore, showed a statistically significant effect of only two parental treatment styles, namely the dictatorial style and the rejection style.
Based on the results, the study recommended the need to strengthen parental control over children through monitoring the quality of electronic games as well as setting controls for permitted electronic games.
