Influence of child-parent relationship style on fears occurrence in children ²⁶³¹

This article presents the results of a study on influence of the childparent relationship style on fear-occurrence in children. Findings indicate that the following parameters of child parent relationships facilitate fears in preschoolers: absence of parent emotional proximity with a child, child non acceptance (rejection) of a parent, and a high level of anxiety in child parent relationship.Main types of child parent relationships leading to children fears: extra high level of parent requirements to a child, extra high level of parent control, absence of parent emotional proximity with a child, and a high level of anxiety in child parent relationships. Specifics of children' emotional sphere connected with presence of fears are studied. The results show that the most frequent fears in preschoolers are fears of death, fear of storybooks' characters, fear of psychological loneliness, fear of offence, and fear of war. A new type of fear was discovered fear of terrorism. Main fears in elementary school aged children: fear not to meet parents' requirements, fear of punishment / disapproval by parents, fear of offence and war, fear of psychological loneliness, fear of magic creatures, fear of parents' death, and fear of death. The indicated factors of family upbringing help to outline main ways in correctional work in the field of child parent relationships, in order to lower the level of children's fears, maintaining their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Column: Family Psychology