Volume 16, Number 1, 2025

EN:

An inadequate caregiving environment in an orphanage can negatively impact children’s well-being, while a lack of specialized training can induce work-related stress and lower self-efficacy among caregivers. This study examined the effectiveness of the Group Triple P (positive parenting program) with caregivers of children in Pakistani orphanages. Fourteen caregivers across three orphanages completed self-report questionnaires and took part in Group Triple P. A repeated measures ANOVA indicated that the personal well-being of the caregivers improved following intervention. There was also a significant increase in caregivers’ parenting efficacy and a decrease in the use of dysfunctional parenting practices. The frequency and number of children’s challenging behaviors was reported to decrease significantly, along with a significant increase in warmth and reduction in negativity in caregiver–child relationships. This study was the first to implement Group Triple P in an orphanage context. The outcomes support the use of an evidence-based parenting intervention with orphanage caregivers who are in a proxy parenting role.

EN:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, young children faced a shift to online education due to social isolation rules, resulting in increased time spent in front of digital screens. Even before the pandemic, the World Health Organization had recommended limiting screen time for young children as extended screen exposure was becoming more common with the increased prevalence of digital tools. This study aimed to examine the status of young children’s screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the factors influencing it, encompassing child, parent, and environmental dynamics. Through a large-scale online survey, 1,346 parents with children aged 2 to 6 from all 81 provinces of Türkiye participated in the research. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that age, digital device ownership, parental screen time, and mediation strategies were positively associated with children’s screen time, while higher parental income, education, and engagement in dramatic play were negatively correlated. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to achieve a healthier degree of screen usage among young children. Policymakers can play a role in raising awareness about limiting both parent and child screen time and promoting screen-free activities within the home environment, thereby contributing to improving the balance between screen usage and other activities among young children as society moves beyond the pandemic.

EN:

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated cyberbullying among 203 female college students in Saudi Arabia during January and February 2020. The participants were randomly selected from each of the 12 colleges in the female campus of King Saud University in Riyadh City. The participants completed self-administered surveys adapted from the Compendium of Assessment Tools for Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experiences, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings of this study revealed that 41.6% of the sample had encountered some form of cyberbullying at least once in their lifetime. On the other hand, 15.8% reported cyberbullying others. The primary motivations for cyberbullying others were fun and vengeance. The majority of victims (16.3%) did not tell anyone that they were being cyberbullied. Only 2.0% to 2.5% reported an overlap between offline and online bullying. The study’s findings indicate that female college students would benefit from comprehensive cyberbullying education and awareness campaigns. Additionally, interventions to combat cyberbullying within the population are needed.

EN:

This study examines home-based parental involvement in children with and children without intellectual disabilities, with a particular focus on the factors influencing parental involvement in the activities and play of children. The data were collected from 223 mothers using the Parent Interview Form. The findings reveal that both parents engaged significantly more in activities with children who had intellectual disabilities than with children who did not. Mothers reported that, in general, they were more involved than the fathers were in their children’s activities and play. Family income, mothers’ education level, and the number of children at home were shown to be crucial factors in parental involvement. The results may guide interventionists as to which activities and types of play parents should be encouraged to participate in more with their children, especially those with intellectual disabilities. Key points are: (a) parents of children with intellectual disabilities demonstrated greater involvement than did parents of children without disabilities; (b) the most common activity among parents of children with intellectual disabilities was going out with their children while reading aloud was the least common; (c) physical play was preferred by parents of children with intellectual disabilities and by fathers of children without disabilities; and (d) a noteworthy correlation exists between the frequency of parental involvement with children with intellectual disabilities and two key factors: the number of children in the family and the mother’s education level.

EN:

This study examined the relationship between the individual values of mothers of children aged 60 to 72 months and the children’s prosocial behavior. The research was implemented using the relational screening model, a quantitative research method. The study group, which was determined by a simple non-selective sampling method, included 300 children aged 60 to 72 months attending preschool in the Istanbul province of Türkiye in the 2020–2021 academic year, and their mothers. The data collection tools used were the Individual Values Inventory, the Preschool Positive Social Behavior Scale, and a demographic information form. Scores for the mothers in the study group were highest for the values of sharing and respect, and lowest for trust and forgiveness; their children received above-average scores in their prosocial behavior. In addition, there was no statistically significant relationship between the individual values of the mothers and the prosocial behaviors of their children. These findings are discussed and suggestions are made for new research, along with practical ideas for teachers and families.

EN:

Professionals working in family services often come into contact with stepfamilies. Issues that often need professional support and stepfamily intervention include divorce, custody disputes, children’s stress and adjustment problems, and challenges new stepfamilies encounter. The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to explore the challenges of stepfamilies as perceived by the families themselves and by the professionals working in services for children, adolescents, and families. Data were collected in the spring of 2018 using semi-structured questionnaires among social and health care professionals and stepfamilies. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The challenges reported related mainly to the complexities of managing a stepfamily, including parenting, role conflicts, issues arising from the former life, children’s adaptation difficulties, and stepcouple relationships. Five themes were identified from the responses of professionals and parents in stepfamilies: many overlapping stories, children living amid changes, parenting under cross-pressure, love relationship is hard to maintain, and rocky road to a balanced family. These results provide perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders regarding the challenges stepfamilies face. Our study may offer valuable information for professionals working with stepfamilies and for researchers and decision-makers planning interventions for stepfamilies.

EN:

Although the impact of social media on early adolescents is a global concern, research on this topic in Greece—particularly from parents’ perspectives—is limited. This study addresses this gap by exploring Greek parents’ views on early adolescents’ social media usage. Using an exploratory, qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 parents in western Greece, and the data were thematically analysed. Our results indicate that while parents acknowledge some benefits of social media, they are concerned about its effects on early adolescents’ behaviour, mental health, academic performance, and linguistic skills. The parents viewed early adolescents as being highly impressionable. They felt unprepared to manage their children’s exposure to social media influences due to a lack of relevant information and education. Understanding these parental perspectives can help guide the development of support services to enhance digital well-being among families.

EN:

During adolescence, knee injuries are common and can greatly affect patients’ subjective well-being. Social support has been identified as a buffer against ill-being after knee injury. Self-determination theory holds that optimal social support nurtures the psychological need for autonomy, which is defined as a sense of personal endorsement of one’s actions. This longitudinal study aimed to examine the contributions of perceived parent and physician autonomy support to the subjective well-being of knee-injured adolescents. A total of 44 adolescent patients (Mage = 14.7 years) from a paediatric sports medicine clinic participated. In the waiting room (T0), data on perceived parental autonomy support, subjective well-being, athletic identity, and knee function were collected. After their appointment (T1), participants rated their perception of physician autonomy support. Participants later reported their subjective well-being monthly, for 3 months (T2–T4). Descriptive analyses revealed that perceived parental autonomy support was positively and often strongly correlated with subsequent subjective well-being. The positive association remained significant solely at T3 in regressions controlling for physician autonomy support, baseline subjective well-being, and other key confounders. Perceived physician autonomy support was positively but non-significantly correlated with later subjective well-being. These results suggest that perceived autonomy support, particularly from parents, may help overcome the deleterious effects of knee injury on adolescents’ subjective well-being.

EN:

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy (social, emotional, and academic) in the relationship between helicopter parenting and social media addiction (SMA) among Turkish adolescents. Previous studies examining the influences of helicopter parenting behaviors on mental health mostly studied college-age children and were conducted in Western cultures, while the current study focused on the association of helicopter parenting with the mental health of younger children and was conducted an Eastern country (Türkiye). The participants consisted of 326 adolescents (212 girls and 114 boys) who had at least one social media account. Data were collected through the Helicopter Parent Attitude Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and a demographic information form. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression-based bootstrapping techniques. The results show that both maternal and paternal helicopter parenting had significant and direct positive associations with SMA. Emotional and academic self-efficacy had significant and direct associations with SMA, while social self-efficacy did not show such an association. In addition, it was found that the mediating effects of self–efficacy (social, emotional, and academic) in relations between helicopter parenting and SMA were not significant.

EN:

Recent studies have pointed out that children were among those affected by the changes that COVID-19 restrictions brought to daily life. This study aims to explore how children’s routines of sleep, diet, exercise, and technology use changed during the lockdown of COVID-19, which in Türkiye was enacted between March 16th and June 1st of 2020. An online questionnaire was answered by 323 parents of children aged 4 to 12. Regression analysis was used to examine the ways in which demographics, resources, and activities correlated with parents’ perceptions of activities. The findings indicated that the amount of change in children’s daily routines was predicted more strongly by how their parents felt about their activities than by the other factors examined. Our findings will contribute to an understanding of the ways in which the COVID-19 restrictions affected children’s routines, and assist parents, teachers, and policymakers in their efforts to provide support for children.