Parenting styles, social-emotional development and empathy among high school adolescents in Rubaga division Kampala

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parenting styles, social emotional development and empathy. A sample of 254 high school adolescents of Lubiri High School and Nakasero Secondary School were selected using a systematic sampling technique. This study adopted a quantitative study approach with a correlational survey design. A self-administered questionnaire was used in the data collection. Collected data were coded and analysed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Version 23) for tables and figures presentation. Pearson correlation coefficient was also used to examine the relationship between the study variables. Results indicated that authoritative parenting style was significantly related to social emotional development (r = .296**, and p = .000 <0.01) as well as permissive (r = .199**, and p = .001 <0.01), and authoritarian parenting style but a weak relationship (r = .149*, and p = .018 <0.05), unlike neglectful parenting (r = -.016, and p = .795 > 0.01). Results further indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between social emotional development and empathy (r = .525**, and p = .0.00 <0.01). The findings of this study indicated that authoritative parenting style was significantly related to empathy (r = .228**, and p = .000 <0.01) as well as permissive (r = .113**, and p = .000 <0.01), and neglectful parenting style but a weak relationship (r = -.124*, and p = .048 <0.05), unlike authoritarian parenting style (r = .086, and p = .170 > 0.01). It was discovered that social emotional development mediates the relationship between parenting styles and empathy among high school adolescents, (β = -.055, t (`254) = -.865 p= .388 >. 01). Basing on the above findings, it was recommended that there should be use of highly effective and good parenting styles, this may aid in enhancing the emotional development and empathy among adolescents. That implied that adolescents who are well parented have high potential of being emotionally stable and developing empathy to other people around them.