Parenting styles and students self-esteem in Uganda: A case of Katabi town council in Wakiso district

Abstract

The study set out to examine the relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem. A case of Katabi Town Council Entebbe Wakiso Uganda. The study focused on parenting styles because of their effects on self-esteem. The study was guided by the following objectives: to examine the levels of self-esteem among the students (both high and low self-esteem), to analyze the factors responsible for the students’ self-esteem and to investigate the relationship between parenting style and students’ self-esteem in Katabi town council. The study was cross-sectional because it sought to describe the incidence of a phenomenon at a given time that is the levels of students’ self-esteem. Data was collected from the residents of Katabi Town Council from a total of 80 respondents were selected using simple random sampling. Questionnaires, observations and documentaries were the methods of data collection applied in the study. The study discovered that most of the students agreed that “they are people of worth, at least on an equal plane with others”. This implies that most students of Katabi Town Council have high self-esteem according to Rosenberg’s Self Esteem Inventory. The researcher recommends students and other people to believe in them-selves, to focus on positive and avoid comparing themselves to others in order to maintain high self-esteem The study discovered that 100% of the students agreed that there was teasing and bullying of new students. Teasing and bullying tortures students both physically and psychologically which also affects self-esteem. Schools should aim at encouraging students to stop bullying and teasing their fellow new students since this influences peoples self-esteem negatively.

The study discovered that 91%) agreed to the statement that they are always encouraged to obey rules and regulations of behavior once established by someone with authority while (9%) disagreed. Since most students of Katabi town council agreed to the statement, shows that parents of Katabi town council use authoritative parenting style which is characterized with: parents monitor their children’s behavior, use discipline based on reasoning, encouraging their children to make decisions and learn from their mistakes according to Diana Baumrind’s observations. The study recommended parents to practice authoritative parenting style because it tends to produce children who are happy, capable and successful. The study recommended that students should avoid comparing themselves to others since the response given when asked may impact ones self-esteem negatively resulting into low self-esteem. The study concluded that most students in Katabi Town Council Wakiso District Entebbe Uganda is high and should believe in themselves to maintain their high self-esteem since high self-esteem enables people to see themselves as achievers in control of their destiny than the low self-esteem that makes people believe that they are failures with no future (Rosen, 1960).