PECULIARITIES OF THE RELATIONSHIPS OF FAMILY UPBRINGING STYLES AND PARENTAL ATTITUDES WITH CHILDREN’S FEAR AND ANXIETY

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study comparing family upbringing strategies with parents’ attitudes towards children, comparing the parenting styles of fathers and mothers, comparing groups of children with different levels of parental control during Russia’s large-scale war in Ukraine. It is noted that during Russia’s large-scale war in Ukraine, the focus of scientific research has been somewhat shifted to vectors related to the peculiarities of experiencing traumatic events by different segments of the population. However, the focus of our research is on changes in the family system in times of adversity. The purpose of our study was to identify the peculiarities of the relationship between family upbringing styles and parental attitudes and the fears and anxiety of primary school children during the war. Comparison of the groups of mothers and fathers under study made it possible to see differences in family upbringing strategies. It was found that a higher level of fear and anxiety is observed in children whose parents have a high level of parental control. It has been found that an increase in the level of control and the degree of parental demands that characterize authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles contribute to the growth of child anxiety. Based on the study, the following conclusions were made: the overall childhood anxiety of primary school students is inversely related to the family upbringing strategy, so the increase in the level of control and the degree of parental demands (which subjectively increase during the war), which characterize the authoritarian and authoritative styles of upbringing, contribute to the growth of childhood anxiety.  Comparing groups of children with different levels of control revealed differences in the level of fear and anxiety. Given that the parents studied showed oppositely high rates of authoritarian, authoritative (mothers) and indifferent (fathers) parenting styles, it is argued that the difference in parenting styles is one of the leading psychological factors of anxiety in primary school children during war. This was also confirmed by the results of factor analysis, which revealed one factor – control and negative attitude to the child’s failures (high demands), and another factor – cooperation and emotional acceptance as a prevention of anxiety.