The Association Between Parents' Rights-Based Parenting and Attitudes Towards Refugee Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Parents' rights-based attitudes play a critical role in safeguarding refugee children against social exclusion, discrimination and potential risks of neglect and rights violations. Understanding these attitudes is essential within a child protection framework that emphasizes preventive and inclusive practice. This study aimed to evaluate parents' attitudes towards refugee children in relation to children's rights and to examine factors associated with rights-based parenting behaviours. This descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational multicentre study was conducted with parents registered at eight family health centres in a province in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Attitudes Questionnaire towards Refugee Children and the Parent–Child Rights-Based Behaviour Scale. Independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. Parents' attitudes towards refugee children were significantly influenced by employment status, having a refugee friend or neighbour and having a child with a refugee classmate (p < 0.05). Parents' rights-based behaviours towards their own children were associated with parental status and age (p < 0.05). A strong positive correlation was identified between parents' attitudes towards refugee children and their rights-based parenting behaviours (p < 0.001). The findings indicate that parents' attitudes towards refugee children are closely linked to rights-based parenting practices, highlighting the importance of addressing parental perceptions as part of preventive child protection strategies. The results underline the need for practice-focused interventions in primary health care and community settings to promote inclusive, rights-based approaches that support the protection and well-being of refugee children.