FEATURES OF SELF-ESTEEM AND ANXIETY IN CHILDREN RAISED IN ONE-CHILD AND LARGE FAMILIES

Abstract. This scientific article deals with the problem of self-esteem and anxiety in children with one-child and large families. The aim of the work is to identify the features of self-esteem and anxiety in children from one-child and large families. The paper presents an analysis of psychological techniques with a description of the identified levels of self-esteem and anxiety.  Methods are analyzed separately for single-child and large families. The results obtained will be of interest to parents and teachers of schools, with the aim of rational planning of curricula and carrying out measures to regulate the level of self-esteem and anxiety of schoolchildren.

Keywords: Self-esteem, anxiety, family, family upbringing, primary school age.

The family is the most important institution of a child's upbringing and development. It is the main source of transmitting to the younger generations the socio-historical experience of society, the experience of emotional and business relationships between people. Family education is an initial, and therefore such a significant step in the process of socialization of the individual. Children are psychologically and biologically dependent on their loved ones. Consequently, the family has a primary influence on the formation of values, worldview, views, and culture of a developing individual. The purpose of family education is to form such personal qualities that will help him adequately overcome the emerging life difficulties and obstacles [7].

The family environment, which is the first cultural niche for the child, includes the subject-spatial, social-behavioral and informational environment of the child. How this environment is organized depends on the methods of influencing the child, their effectiveness for its development [5].

According to B. M. Bim-Bada, "family upbringing is more or less conscious efforts to raise a child, undertaken by older family members, which are aimed at ensuring that younger family members correspond to the older ones 'ideas about what a child, teenager, or young man should be and become" [2, p.156].

Today, we often encounter inappropriate behavior of children. But the child's perception of the world around him and his place in it, the formation of his self-esteem and anxiety directly depends on the existing family relationships.

In younger schoolchildren, anxiety and self-esteem are unstable character traits, so when appropriate psychocorrective work is carried out, they can be restored to the optimal level. Primary school age is a period in the life of a child from 6-7 to 10 years old, studying in primary classes (grades 1-4).  It is a very important stage in the personal growth of children. After all, during this time, the child acquires the inner position of a schoolboy, educational motivation, receives valuable knowledge and experience, learns to work in a team, and becomes more responsible and independent.  At this stage of life, the child enters a completely new social environment for him — school, which is why his personal changes are connected. At this age, children develop self-esteem, the level of claims, the need to achieve success, independence, initiative, the desire to communicate, and the "I-concept" [3].

This topic is relevant, because the values lay down at the first stage of a child's life are strengthened and improved, turning into the life positions of an adult.

The aim of the empirical study was to identify the characteristics of self-esteem and anxiety in children raised in one-child and large families.

We suggested that the level of self-esteem and anxiety in children in one-child and large families will differ: children from one-child families have higher self-esteem and lower anxiety compared to children from large families.

We used the following psychodiagnostic techniques:

1. The "Ladder" method (V. G. Shchur), which we used to determine the self-assessment of subjects at an unconscious level;

2. Test-questionnaire "Determining the level of self-esteem" (S. V. Kovalev), which we used to determine the level of self-esteem of subjects at a conscious level;

3. Method " Scale of self-assessment of anxiety "(Part DSpielberger), which we used to determine reactive and personal anxiety in children.

The study was conducted on the basis of Secondary School No. 1 in Gubkin, Belgorod region. It was attended by students of the 3rd " A " class. The total number of subjects was 25 people, including 10 children from large families and 15 children from one-child families.

Let's move on to analyzing the results obtained. At the first stage, we compared children from one-child and large families in terms of their self-esteem. To do this, we used the "Ladder" method (V. G. Shchur) and the "Self-assessment level Determination" test questionnaire (S. V. Kovalev). The results revealed the following:: most children from single-child families on the unconscious level, there is high self-esteem (95%), and only 5% of the average, adequate self-esteem; the majority of children from large families, high self-esteem (60%), and only 40% of the average; in the class in General, most children have inflated self-esteem (88%), and only 12% are medium, adequate self-esteem (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. The level of self-esteem of children in one-child and large families at an unconscious level

On a conscious level: the majority of children from single-child families, there is a high self-esteem (60%), less than half of children have high self-esteem (35%), and only 5% have low self-esteem; the majority of children from large families, the average self-assessment (80%), and only 20% of children with low self-esteem; in the class in General, most children have high self-esteem (48%), less than half of children have high self-esteem (44%), and only 8% have low self-esteem (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. The level of self-assessment of children in one-child and large families at a conscious level

Thus, we can see that the levels of self-esteem in children at the conscious and unconscious levels differ. Unconscious self-esteem reflects a person's unconscious attitudes towards himself, and conscious self-esteem reflects the real level of people's self-esteem.

At the next stage, we determined the ratio of reactive and personal anxiety levels in children. To do this, we used the "Scale of self-assessment of anxiety" (Part D) method.Spielberger). The results revealed the following:: On average, most children from one-child and large families have a low level of reactive anxiety (which corresponds to 22 points in a one-child family and 28 points in a large family) and an average level of personal anxiety (which corresponds to 37 points in a one-child family and 42 points in a large family). At the same time, children from large families have a higher level of reactive and personal anxiety than other children (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Correlation of reactive and personal anxiety levels in children with one-child and large families

Analyzing the data obtained, it can be noted that children from one-child families usually have an inflated level of self-esteem, a low level of reactive anxiety, and an average level of personal anxiety, while children from large families have an average level of self-esteem, a low level of reactive anxiety, and an average level of personal anxiety. At the same time, the level of anxiety of children from large families is higher than that of children from one-child families. Such results are probably due to the fact that a one-child family creates better conditions for the formation of the child's personality (since the child receives more attention from adults). But at the same time, such children have almost no communication skills. Children from large families are more silent, responsible, and disciplined. However, insufficient attention from adults, excessive criticism, give rise to problems related to self-esteem and anxiety, as our study showed.

In general, based on the results of our research, we can conclude that the topic of self-esteem and anxiety in children brought up in one-child and large families is relevant and in demand. In primary school age, children's self-esteem and anxiety can still be corrected. The results of this study can be used in the planning of classroom activities, as well as in the course of family education.