Influence of Parenting Style on Loneliness in Young Children

Influence of Parenting Style on Loneliness in Young Children

This study aimed to understand the influence of parenting style on loneliness in young children. The sample consisted of 60 children among which 30 are lonely and 30 nonlonely children. 30 parents and 15 teachers of the lonely children were also selected for the in-depth interview. Purposive sampling technique was used to obtain the sample. The study uses Childrens loneliness questionnaire to identify children who are lonely and a structured interview to gather data from parents and teachers regarding their perception of childs loneliness. Chi square was used to identify the parenting style of the lonely children. Following an exploratory analysis of the data obtained, it was found that a considerable number of children feel lonely at very young age. The present study also found positive relationship between parenting style and childs feelings of loneliness. The result shows the evidence that loneliness is prevalent among children in this generation but the amount of awareness parents and teachers have about this issue is very low. This could be because of perception among parents and teachers that children of younger age do not experience loneliness.

John Kattakayam Anju

Psychology