It is natural to dislike failing at things, but for some children, the fear of failure provokes such intense anxiety that it changes their behavior. An article on the website Keepkidshealthy.com says that nowadays, more children fear failing at tests, sports and other extracurricular activities. Fearing failure can cause children to avoid certain activities or to hesitate to do their best.
Source
Children who fear failure actually fear what failure means to them. In a September 2007 article in the "Journal of Sports Sciences," researchers wrote that fear of failure relates to how children perceive the consequences of failure. The researchers interviewed adolescents and found that children fear failure because it can change the way they view themselves. Children also fear failure because they fear not having a sense of achievement.
Self-Handicapping
A February 2000 article in the "Journal of Youth and Adolescence" says fear of failing at a task can lead to self-handicapping in adolescents. Self-handicapping is when a child purposely sets extremely easy goals so that he cannot fail to achieve them. For example, a child may aim to get a "C" rather than an "A" on a test to minimize the chances of failure.
Perfectionism
In an October 1999 article in the "Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology," researchers wrote that a fear of failing relates to perfectionism. People who fear failure become perfectionists in an attempt to avoid the feelings of shame and embarrassment that come with failure. Someone who perceives a lot of pressure to succeed from her parents is more likely to feel shameful and embarrassed if she fails.
Avoidance
According to the website Keepkidshealthy.com, children learn to avoid activities that might lead to failure. While this may protect the child from experiencing the negative emotions that come with failure, it also causes them to miss out on potentially valuable learning experiences because failure is a valuable part of life, providing children with learning opportunities and healthy motivation to do better in the future.
Prevention
According to an article for the Guardian.co.uk website, you can take steps to reduce your child's fear of failure. Look for signs of anxiety in your child, such as feeling sick, tired or not wanting to go to school. Talk to your child if he seems worried about things. You can help your child by keeping things in perspective---remind him that it's OK if he fails and that the negative emotions that come with failure soon pass.
References
- "Journal of Sports Sciences"; Why Young Elite Athletes Fear Failure: Consequences of Failure; S.S. Sager et al; September 2007
- "Journal of Youth and Adolescence"; Adolescent Self-Handicapping, Depressive Affect, and Maternal Parenting Styles; Sonia H. Greaven et al; February 2000
- "Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology"; Perfectionism, Fear of Failure, and Affective Responses to Success and Failure; S.S. Sager and J. Stoeber; October 2009
- Keepkidshealthy.com: Fear of Failure
- Guardian.co.uk: Fear of Failure
