Perceived Helicopter Parenting, Emotional Regulation and Social Anxiety in Adolescents

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine the perceived helicopter parenting, emotion regulation, and social anxiety in adolescents. A correlation research design and a convenient sampling technique were used in the current study. For the assessment, the study employed standardized scales. perceived helicopter parenting scale for Adolescents (Kashaf & Khurshid, 2021), Emotional Regulation Questionnaire for Adolescents (ERQA) by (Yasser & Saleem, 2015), and social anxiety scale for adolescents by (Riaz & Zakia, 2013) were used. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Correlation analysis was applied to find the relationship between perceived helicopter parenting, emotional regulation, and social anxiety in adolescence. Results indicate that an increase in helicopter parenting leads to more social anxiety while causing a reduction in emotional regulation. Adolescents who perceive parents overcontrolling might be more prone to distractions as a coping mechanism. This could be related to emotional numbing and avoidance. The results show that perceived helicopter parenting is positively linked to social anxiety and negatively linked to emotional regulation, suggesting that a controlling environment increases anxiety and emotional difficulties in adolescents. Both helicopter parenting and emotional regulation significantly predict social anxiety. The findings of the study proposed that to reduce helicopter parenting behaviours, parenting interventions may be effective in reducing social anxiety and improving emotional regulation in adolescents.