New studies from the University of Georgia show that both moms and dads can help ease or worsen their children’s social anxiety by how they treat them.

UGA researchers discovered both mothers and fathers can influence their child's social confidence in different ways. Parents could help reduce social anxiety by expressing affection and warmth or make it worse by shaming or overly controlling their children.

Social anxiety tends to peak around adolescence, but even mild forms of social anxiety can negatively impact children’s wellbeing and development. Warmth and affection from both parents were connected to fewer social anxiety symptoms. While rejections and coldness were linked to higher levels of social anxiety.

“We’re finding these effects across cultures and age groups,” said Cullin

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