Mediating role of emotional security in relationship between family functioning and child's behavioral problems

The family as the first and most important factor in child development has a major impact on the child''s mental health and psychological problems. Evidences suggest that emotional security has a mediating role in the relationship between family functioning and child’s behavioral problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the mediatory role of child’s emotional security in the relations between family functioning and children’s behavioral problems. The sample consisted of 262 fifth and sixth graders of Tehran (117 girls and 145 boys) and their mothers who were selected according to cluster sampling method. The students completed the Security on Family Scale (SFS)، the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III)، and the mothers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results of the analysis showed that both dimension of family functioning (cohesion and adaptability) correlated with all emotional security dimensions، and they also could play a mediatory role in relation between family functioning and child’s behavioral problems. In fact، effective functioning of the family increases security and decreases preoccupation and disengagement. Through increasing security and decreasing insecurity family functioning can reduce child’s behavioral problems. With respect to the results of this study، teaching the basic functions of the family and their effects on children''s emotional security seems useful in preventing problems between children and parents.