Parenting style and Emotional regulation in children with Borderline and Average intellectual functioning

Abstract

Background: Children with borderline intellectual functioning represent a unique course of behavioral and developmental challenges. One such issue is emotion regulation (ER), leading to poor interpersonal relationships and adjustment issues in adulthood. There are extensive studies highlighting the role of parenting style in emotion regulation. Aim: The present study compares the emotion regulation and parenting style in children having borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) versus average intellectual functioning (AIF). Methods: Fifty pairs of child-parent were recruited, 25 children with AIF, and 25 children with BIF. The intelligence quotient (IQ) score on Malin’s Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC) was used to identify children as BIF and AIF. Emotional Regulation Questionnaire- Child and Adolescents (ERQ-CA) was used with children to assess ER. Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) was administered to either parent to assess the parenting style of parents. Results: Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. The results suggested that children with BIF significantly differed (p=.004) from children with AIF in emotion regulation strategy at .01 level of significance. Additionally, parents of children with BIF were permissive, and the difference in parenting style was significant (p=.022) at .05 level of significance. Conclusions: The child's cognitive abilities might be influencing his functioning and interaction with parents. The intervention programs aiming at the regulation of emotions for children with BIF, along with parental training, might be helpful. More research is required to understand and assess issues of this vulnerable and neglected group.