The effect of parenting experience during childhood on the later awareness of children’s rights: The mediating effects of self-esteem and emotional intelligence

Abstract

A large body of literature has shown the close relationship between parents’ parenting attitudes and their parenting experiences during their own childhood. However, it is hard to find either theoretical or empirical studies explaining why and how such close relationships develop. This study fills this gap. To do so, we extensively review the related theories and hypothesize that mothers’ parenting experiences during their own childhood affect their later level of awareness of children’s rights through the mediation effects of two psychological factors: self-esteem and emotional intelligence. Applying structural equation modeling to a vast dataset acquired by surveying 1,011 Korean mothers we provide evidence that strongly supports the main hypothesis. We also find that this relationship holds in a roundabout way: while there is no direct relationship between mothers’ parenting experiences during childhood and their current level of awareness of children’s rights, the effects of the former on the latter are indirectly mediated by self-esteem and emotional intelligence. These findings may imply that psychological programs for parents can improve their emotional intelligence and self-esteem and thus improve their practices regarding children’s rights since psychological factors can change over one’s lifetime.