A comparative study on normal fear of Chinese adolescents between urban and rural areas

Abstract

Objective To compare the features of adolescents' normal fear between urban and rural areas in China. Methods 648 Urban and 478 rural adolescents were investigated with the revised Fear Survey Schedule For Children -II . Results (1)The most common fear of adolescents in urban and rural areas was very same,namely taking dangerous drugs,someone in my family having an accident,not being able to breath,someone in my family dying,nuclear war,my parents separating or getting divorced,being kidnapped,but only one item was not same ,namely urban adolescents fear having no friends ,rural adolescents fear AIDS. (2)The amount of fear items( t =11.42,P <0.01) and the degree of general fear (urban =1.62±0.28,rural =1.83±0.26,t =12.72,P <0.01) ,each dimension fear(P <0.01) of rural adolescents were significantly higher than that of urban adolescents.(3)The degree of fear about danger and injure( F =85.46,P <0.01),animal (female=1.84±0.47,male=1.54±0.45,F =156.86,P <0.01),social relationship ( F =32.23,P <0.01)of female adolescents were significantly higher than that of male adolescents.(4) In all adolescents ,the degree of the general fears( F =13.781,P <0.01) danger and injure fears( F =17.164,,P <0.01) decreased gradually as they grew up ,and the degree of unknown and uncertainty fear(( F =5.01,P <0.01),social fear ( F =4.42,P <0.05)of middle school students were higher than that of high school students; urban middle school students were significantly higher than that of urban high school students in failure and punishment fear.Conclusion (1)There are significant consistency on the most normal fears,the trend of development about the general fears,danger and injure fears,unknown and uncertainty fear,social fear for adolescents between urban and rural areas .(2)The amount of fear items and the degree of general fear ,each dimension fear of school-aged rural adolescents were significantly higher than that of urban adolescents;and there isn't common trend of development on the failure and punishment fear for rural and urban adolescents. Key words: Normal fear; Chinese adolescents; Urban and rural aeras