Skip to main content

Part of the book series: Issues in Clinical Child Psychology ((ICCP))

Abstract

Children’s fears can be defined as strong emotional reactions to actual or imaginary dangers. Most of them are common adaptive responses that serve to protect the individual from potential harm, and they tend to decrease or cease within a short period of time. New fears emerge as children become more mobile and as they appreciate social as opposed to physical threats to their well-being. The incidence of fears and their evolution have been well documented in numerous studies over the last 60 years (for reviews, see King, Hamilton, & Ollendick, 1988; Marks, 1987; Morris & Kratochwill, 1983; Smith, 1979).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. S. (1981). Behavioural problems and competencies reported by parents of normal and disturbed children ages four through sixteen. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 1981, 188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Achenbach, T., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral problems and emotional problems: Implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213–232.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1963). The development of infant-mother interaction among the Ganda. In B. M. Foss (Ed.), Determinants of infant behaviour, Vol. 2. London: Methuen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arrendell, W. A., Pikersgill, M. J., Merkelbach, H., Ardon, A. M., & Cornet, F. (1991). Phobic dimension. III. Factor analytic approaches to the study of common phobic fears: An updated review of findings obtained with adult subjects. Advances in Behavioural Research, 13, 73–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assailly, J. (1988). Des peurs enfantines aux angoisses de l’adolescence: Une Ă©tude de filiations. Enfance, 41, 61–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bamber, J. H. (1974). The fears of adolescents. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 125, 127–140.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bamber, J. H. (1979). The fears of adolescents. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bariaud, F., & Rodriguez-TomĂ©, H. (1975). Peurs et angoisse chez les adolescents de milieux rural et urbain. Bulletin de Psychologie, 29, 813–823.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrios, B. A., Hartman, D. P., & Shigetomi, C. (1981). Fears and anxieties in children. In E. J. Mash and L. G. Terdal (Eds.), Behavioral assessment of childhood disorders (pp. 259–304). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhugra, D., & Leff, J. (Eds.) (1993). Principles of social psychiatry. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binet, A. (1895). La peur chez les enfants. AnnĂ©e psychologique (pp. 223-254).

    Google Scholar 

  • Birleson, P. (1981). The validity of depressive disorder in childhood and the development of a self-rating: A research report. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 22, 73–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Block, J. H. (1976). Issues, problems and pitfalls in assessing sex differences: A critical review of the psychology of sex differences. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 22, 283–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brislin, R. W. (1983). Cross-cultural research in psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 34, 363–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J. N. (1984). Cross-cultural research methods in clinical psychology. In P. C. Kendall & J. N. Butcher (Eds.), Handbook of research methods in clinical psychology (pp. 273–308). New York: John Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasen, P. R. (1977). Piagetian psychology: Cross-cultural contributions. New York: Gardner Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, W. (1940). Does culture appreciably affect patterns of infant behavior? Journal of Social Psychology, 12, 305–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derevensky, J. L. (1979). Children’s fears: A developmental comparison of normal and exceptional children. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 135, 11–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dollinger, S. J., O’Donnell, J. P, & Staley, A. A. (1984). Lightning-strike disaster: Effects on children’s fears and worries. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 1028–1038.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dong, Q., Yang, B., & Ollendick, T. H. (1994). Fears in Chinese children and adolescents and their relations to anxiety and depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 35, 351–363.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Earls, F. (1980). Prevalence of behavior problems in 3-year-old children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 1153–1157.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Erol, N., & Sahin, N. (1991). Fears in Turkish children. Paper read to the 9th Conference of the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, London, September 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erol, N., Sahin, N., and Ozcebe, H. (1990). Cocukluk korkulari: Norm calismasi (Childhood fears: A normative study). Turkish Journal of Psychiatry, 1, 31–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H. J., and Eysenck, S. B. (1975). Manual for Eysenck Questionnaire of Personality for Children. London: Stoughton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fonseca, A. C. (1993a). Fears in children and adolescents: A study on the Portuguese population. Revista Portuguesa de Pedagogia, 27, 75–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fonseca, A. C. (1993b). Fears in children living in special institutions (submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, S. (1972). Infant care and growth in Urban Zambia. Human Development, 15, 77–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graziano, A. M., DeGiovanni, I. S., & Garcia, K. A. (1979). Behavioural treatment of children’s fears: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 804–830.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gullone, E., & King, N. J. (1992). Psychometric evaluation of a Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children and Adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33, 987–998.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, G. S. (1897). A study of fear. American Journal of Psychology, 8, 147–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallowell, A. I. (1938). Fear and anxiety as cultural and individual variables in a primitive society. Journal of Social Psychology, 9, 25–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katzenstein, B. (1951). Ansiedade e agressividade em crianças prĂ©-escolares. Arquivos Brasileiros de PsicotĂ©cnica, 4, 27–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, N. J., Gullone, E., & Ollendick, H. T. (1990). Fears in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19, 173–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, N. J., Hamilton, D. I., & Ollendick, T. H.(1988). Children’s phobias: A behavioural perspective. New York: John Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, N. J., Ollier, K., Iacuone, R., Schuster, S., Bays, K., Gullone, E., & Ollendick, T. H. (1989). Fears of children and adolescents: A cross-sectional Australian study using the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 30, 775–784.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Konner, M. (1972). Aspects of developmental ethology of a foraging people. In N. Blurton Jones (Ed.), Ethological studies of child behaviour (pp. 285–304). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lapouse, R., & Monk, M. A. (1959). Fears and worries in a representative sample of children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 29, 803–818.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Last, C. G., Francis, G., Hersen, M., Kazdin, A. E., & Strauss, C. C. (1987). Separation anxiety and school phobia: A comparison using DSM III criteria. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 653–657.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lester, B. M., Kotelchuck, M., Spelke, E., Sellers, M. J., & Klein, R. E. (1974). Separation protest in Guatemalan infants: Cross-cultural and cognitive findings. Developmental Psychology, 10, 79–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E., & Feldman, S. (1970). Mother-attachment and stranger-reactions in the third year of life. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 37, 146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E., & Jacklin, C. N. (1974). The psychology of sex differences. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marks, I. M. (1969). Fears and phobias. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marks, I. (1987). The development of normal fear: A review. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28, 667–697.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsella, A. J. (1980). Depressive experience and disorder across culture. In H. C. Triandis & J. C. Draguns (Eds.), Handbook of cross-cultural psychology, Vol. 6, Psychopathology (pp. 257–289). London: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Gonzalez, M. C., & Monreal-Bosch, M. P. (1982). Estudio descriptivo de los differentes miedos en una poblaciĂłn de adolescentes de zona rural. Quaderns de Psicologia, 1, 105–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maurer, A. (1965). What children fear. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 106, 265–277.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCathie, H., & Spence, S. (1991). What is the revised fear survey scheduled for children measuring? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 29, 495–502.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, R. J., & Kratochwill, T. R. (1983). Treating children’s fears and phobias. New York: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohman, A., Dimberg, U., & Ă–st, L. (1985). Animal and social phobias: Biological constraints on learned fear responses. In S. Reiss & R. R. Bootzin (Eds.), Theoretical issues in behaviour therapy (pp. 123–175). London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ollendick, T. H. (1983). Reliability and validity of the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). Behaviour Research Therapy, 21, 685–692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ollendick, T. H., & Yule, W. (1990). Depression in British and American children and its relationship to anxiety and fear. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 126–129.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ollendick, T. H., King, N. J., & Frary, R. B. (1989). Fears in children and adolescents: Reliability and generalizability across gender, age and nationality. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27, 19–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ollendick, T. H., Matson, J. L., & Helsel, W. J. (1985). Fears in children and adolescents: Normative data. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, 465–467.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ollendick, T. H., Yule, W., & Ollier, K. (1991). Fears in British children and its relationship to manifest anxiety and depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 321–331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oosterlaan, J., Prins, P. J. M., & Sergeant, J. (1992). A Dutch translation of the Fear Survey Schedule for Children. Paper presented at the SECAP meeting in Saratosa, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabello, S. (1937). Psicologia da infância, SĂŁo Paula: Naçional.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rachman, S. (1977). The conditioning theory of fear acquisition: A critical examination. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 15, 375–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C. R., & Richmond, B. O. (1978). What I think and feel: A revised measure of children’s manifest anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 271–280.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues, A. S. S. (1962). Medos e preocupações em crianças e adolescentes. Rio de Janeiro: Institute de Psicologia da PontifĂ­cia Universidade CatĂłlica do Rio de Janeiro.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-TomĂ©, H., & Bariaud, F. (1990). Anxiety in adolescence: Sources and reactions. In H. Bosma & A. E. Jackson (Eds.), Coping and self-concept in adolescence. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-TomĂ©, H., & Zlotowicz, M. (1972). Peurs et angoisse Ă  l’adolescence. Enfance, 3–4, 239–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1967). Children’s behaviour questionnaire for completion by teachers. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8, 1–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Tizard, J., & Whitmore, K. (Eds.) (1970). Education, health and behaviour. New York: John Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanavio, E. (1988). The fears of Italian children and adolescents. In D. H. Saklofske & S. B. G. Eysenck (Eds.), Individual differences in children and adolescents (pp. 108–118). London: Hodder & Stoughton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherer, M. W., & Nakamura, C. Y. (1968). A fear survey schedule for children (FSS-FC): A factor analytic comparison with manifest anxiety (CMAS). Behaviour Research and Therapy 6, 173–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (1971). Phobias and preparedness. Behavior Therapy, 2, 307–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, W. K., & Nelles, W. B. (1989). An examination of the stability of mothers’ ratings of child fearfulness. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 3, 1–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, W. K., Fleisig, W., Rabian, and Peterson, R. A. (1991). Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 20, 162–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, P. K. (1979). The ontogeny of fears in children. In Sluckin (Ed.), Fears in animals and man (pp. 164–168). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solantaus, T., Rimpela, M., & Taipale, V. (1984). The threat of war in the minds of 12–18 year olds in Finland. Lancet, 1/8380, 784–785.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spielberger, C. D., & Diaz-Guerrero, R. (Eds.) (1976). Cross-cultural anxiety. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, N. J., & Brislin, R. (1984). Cross-cultural psychology. American Psychologist, 39, 1006–1016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, S. M., Beidel, D. C., & Costello, A. (1987). Psychopathology in the offspring of anxiety disorder patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 229–235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weston, P. J., & Mednick, M. T. (1970). Race, social class and the motive to avoid success in women. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 1, 284–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpe, J., & Lang, P. J. (1964). A fear survey schedule for use in behaviour therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2, 27–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpe, J., & Lazarus, A. (1966). Behaviour therapy techniques. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yule, W., Ollendick, T., & Blagg, N. (1992). Fears in British secondary school children (in prep.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yule, W., Udwin, O., & Murdoch, K. (1990). The Jupiter sinking: Effects on children’s fears, depression and anxiety. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31, 1052–1061.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zlotowicz, M. (1972). Peurs et angoisse chez des enfants d’âge scolaire. Enfance, 3–4, 175–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fonseca, A.C., Yule, W., Erol, N. (1994). Cross-Cultural Issues. In: Ollendick, T.H., King, N.J., Yule, W. (eds) International Handbook of Phobic and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1498-9_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1498-9_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-1500-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-1498-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics