Providing a Model of Parental Sexual Education and Its Relationship with Attachment Styles Mediated by Early Maladaptive Schemas
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to provide a model of parental sexual education and examine its relationship with attachment styles through the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas.
Methods and Materials: This research employed a quantitative-survey design and was applied in nature. The statistical population consisted of all parents (1,500 individuals) who had children aged 6 to 12 years. Based on the Morgan and Cochran sampling table, a sample of 300 participants was selected using a simple random sampling method. The research instruments included the Hazan and Shaver Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (1987) and Young’s Early Maladaptive Schemas Questionnaire (1998). The validity of the instruments was assessed through face validity, and their reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.91. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS software.
Findings: The findings indicated a significant relationship between parental sexual education models and attachment styles, mediated by early maladaptive schemas. Furthermore, early maladaptive schemas were shown to mediate the relationship between parental sexual education patterns and attachment styles (p < .05).
Conclusion: The results of this study support the impact of parental sexual education models on both attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that early maladaptive schemas can serve as a mediating factor in the relationship between parental sexual education models and attachment styles.
Downloads
References
Abdollahzadeh, H., & Kikhosravi, S. (2019). Development and psychometric properties of the parents' sexual education styles questionnaire. Journal of Behavioral Science Research, 17(4), 580-593. https://doi.org/10.52547/rbs.17.4.580
Aiffah, G. I., & Religia, W. A. (2020). Child sexual abuse prevention program: Reference to the Indonesian government. Jurnal Promkes, 8(2), 238. https://www.academia.edu/download/111907238/12130.pdf
Atkinson, L. (2019). Reactive Attachment Disorder and attachment theory from infancy to adolescence: review, integration, and expansion. Attachment & Human Development, 21(2), 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2018.1499214
Babayanzad Ahari, S., Behboodi Moghadam, Z., Azin, S. A., & et al. (2020). Concerns and educational needs of Iranian parents regarding the sexual health of their male adolescents: a qualitative study. Reproductive Health, 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-020-0883-6
Bishop, A., Younan, R., Low, J., & Pilkington, P. D. (2022). Early maladaptive schemas and depression in adulthood: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 29(1), 111-130. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2630
Choukan Sanbal, F. S., Rezaeian Faraji, H., & Abdollahi, A. (2023). The relationship between attachment styles and risky sexual behavior: Examining the moderating role of birth order and history of sexual abuse in childhood. Psychological Growth, 12(7), 31-40. https://frooyesh.ir/article-1-4459-fa.html
Díaz-Rodríguez, M. V., Perelló, V. B. i., Granero-Molina, J., Fernández-Medina, I. M., Ventura-Miranda, M. I., & Jiménez-Lasserrotte, M. d. M. (2024). Insights from a Qualitative Exploration of Adolescents' Opinions on Sex Education. Children, 11, 110. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11010110
Ebrahimi, Z., Makvand Hosseini, S., & Tabatabai, S. M. (2023). Predicting generalized anxiety disorder based on attachment styles mediated by maladaptive schemas in adolescents. Journal of Psychological Achievements, 30(2). https://psychac.scu.ac.ir/article_18479.html
Fooladbend, F., & Ejagh, S. Z. (2022). Reconceptualizing the indigenous model of sexual education through media considering Iranian cultural characteristics. Cultural Studies and Communications, 18(2), 259-283. https://www.jcsc.ir/article_244116.html
Garavand, H. (2022). The mediating role of maladaptive schemas in the relationship between attachment styles and COVID-19 anxiety. Journal of Applied Psychology, 16(1). https://apsy.sbu.ac.ir/article_101679.html
Holmes, J. (2014). John Bowlby and attachment theory. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315879772
Istiqomah, L. D., Jaya, N. S. P., & Aryadi, D. (2019). Criminal threats for perpetrators of omission in child abuse in Indonesia. Jurnal Pembaharuan Hukum, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.26532/jph.v6i3.10945
Jeti, L., Tarno, A., Susanto, A., Rachmi, T., & Maimuna, B. (2024). Parents' perceptions of sex education for early childhood in preventing child abuse. Journal of Social Science Research, 4(4), 1-11. http://j-innovative.org/index.php/Innovative/article/view/14176
Kabiri, T., Zargam Hajabi, M., & Abdi Zarrin, S. (2024). Modeling marital agreement based on maladaptive schemas with the mediation of marriage styles in women. Psychological Growth, 13(4), 193-204. https://frooyesh.ir/article-1-5018-fa.html
Lameiras-Fernández, M., Martínez-Román, R., Carrera-Fernández, M. V., & Rodríguez-Castro, Y. (2021). Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18, 2555. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052555
McElvaney, R., Moore, K., O'Reilly, K., Turner, R., Walsh, B., & Guerin, S. (2020). Child sexual abuse disclosures: Does age make a difference? Child abuse & neglect, 99, 104121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104121
Miklósi, M., Máté, O., Somogyi, K., & Szabó, M. (2016). Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Perceived Stress, and Well-Being: The Role of Early Maladaptive Schemata. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 204(5), 364-369. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000000472
Robinson, K. H., Smith, E., & Davies, C. (2017). Responsibilities, tensions and ways forward: Parents' perspectives on children's sexuality education. Journal of Sex Education, 17(3), 333-347. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2017.1301904
Sagone, E., Commodari, E., Indiana, M. L., & La Rosa, V. L. (2023). Exploring the Association between Attachment Style, Psychological Well-Being, and Relationship Status in Young Adults and Adults - A Cross-Sectional Study. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(3), 525-539. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13030040
Salcun, S. (2015). New frontiers and applications of attachment theory. Frontiers in psychology, 6(1), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00273
Seifollahi Ooshani, P., Khodabakhsh Pirkalani, R., Abdollahi, A., & Safari Nia, M. (2022). An overview of research on sexual education for adolescents in Iran and existing research gaps: A review study. Psychological Growth, 11(10), 825-836. https://frooyesh.ir/article-1-4148-fa.html
Shirzadi, Z., Abassian, M., & Taghilu, S. (2022). The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation in the relationship between sexual pain disorder based on maladaptive schemas and sexual schema: A structural equation modeling study. Journal of Family and Health, 12(4). https://civilica.com/doc/1627060/
Simon, J., Luetzow, A., & Conte, J. R. (2020). Thirty years of the convention on the rights of the child: Developments in child sexual abuse and exploitation. Child abuse & neglect, 110, 104399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104399
Willis, J. (2022). Attachment Styles, Deployments, and Perceived Stress of African American Military Spouses. https://search.proquest.com/openview/a5fb289175e8656e5b415d27eaf2e12d/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammadreza Parsayan, Sheida Jabalameli, Taghi Aghahoseini , Hassan Khoshakhlagh (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
