Emotional Security in the Family System and Its Relation to Parenting Styles and Child Abuse among Preparatory School Students

Background: Emotional security theory posits that maintaining a sense of protection, safety, and security is a primary goal for children and adolescents and evaluation of insecurity in the family system by child can add to the risk of the development of psychological problems. Parenting styles and child abuse by parents had many effects on emotional security in the family system among preparatory school students. Moreover, there were negative consequences caused by negative parenting styles can increase level of child abuse by parents among preparatory school students. Aim of study: This study aimed to investigate emotional security in the family system and its relation to parenting styles and child abuse among preparatory school students. Design: A descriptive correlational research design was utilized to achieve the aim of the study. Setting: This study was conducted at 4 preparatory schools in Benha city, Qalyubia Governorate. Study subject: Representative sample of (352) student from first and second preparatory grades students.  Tools of Data collection: Four tools were used: Tool 1: Structured Interview Questionnaire, Tool 2: Perceived parenting style Questionnaire Tool 3: Child Abuse Questionnaire and Tool 4: Security in the family system scale (SIFS). Results: more than half of the studied students perceive their mothers as authoritarian parent, while more than half of them perceive their fathers as authoritative parent. Moreover, less than half of the studied students experienced moderate abuse from their mothers, while, more than half of the studied students experienced low abuse from their fathers. Furthermore, more than half of the studied students had moderate level of total emotional security in the family system, one quarter of them had high level of total emotional security in the family system and less than one quarter of them had low level of total emotional security in the family system. Conclusion: There was a highly statistically significant correlation between total student’s perception towards parenting style and total exposure to child abuse from both of their parents. Moreover, there was a highly statistically significant negative correlation between student’s perception towards both of their parents’ style and their total emotional security. Moreover, there was a highly statistically significant negative correlation between student’s exposure to abuse from both of their parents and their total emotional security. Recommendations: A psycho educational program about positive parenting to promote parenting competencies and skills and reducing child abuse and its effect in emotional security among preparatory school students.