Effects of Parenting Attitudes on Third Grade Elementary Students’ Peer Relationships During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated how the parenting attitude of primary caregivers perceived by lower-grade elementary students during the COVID-19 pandemic affects the students’ peer relationships, and whether their self-esteem plays a mediating role in parenting attitudes and peer relationships of primary caregivers. For this purpose, 139 elementary students, enrolled in 3rd grades in Gangwon-do, were recruited excluding children with intellectual disabilities and children who did not attend school. We performed hierarchical regression according to the research model and Sobel test to examine the statistical significance of the mediating effect of students’ self-esteem. As a result of the study, it was reported that children in the lower grades of elementary school spent more time with their parents and less time spent offline with their peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the regression analysis, it was found that the parenting attitude of the primary caregiver greatly affects the child's peer relationship. In addition, it was shown that peer relationships were more positive when self-esteem was intervened as a mediating effect. It was concluded that the parenting attitude of the primary caregiver had an effect on their children’s peer relationships, but had more influence through self-esteem. Implications of the study and future research were suggested.