Relations between perceived social support, attachment and kindness in high school students

Abstract

Through its different components, such as compassion and prosocial behaviour, kindness contributes to healthy social relationships. Additionally, it is frequently reported in the literature that individuals who are securely attached are more likely to perceive their friends and families as having their backs. Studies examining the relationship between secure attachment, kindness, and perceived social support variables in high school students may contribute to improving their well-being levels and preventing psychopathology from developing. This study examines the relationship between perceived social support, secure attachment to parents and peers, and character strength of kindness among high school students. The study involved 676 high school students (499 females and 177 males). The correlation analysis showed that high school students' perceived levels of social support from their families, friends, and teachers, their attachment to parents and peers, and their kindness strength had a significant and positive relationship with each other. In the path analysis, it was found that students' secure attachment to parents and peers predicted perceived social support from friends, family, and teachers, either directly or indirectly. The bootstrapping process also revealed that indirect predictive relationships were significant. Finally, the study offered suggestions for future studies.