Normative development of fears in Greece: self-reports on the Hellenic Fear Survey Schedule for Children.

This study assessed the psychometric properties of self-reports on the Hellenic Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-GR), a Greek-language version of Ollendick's FSSC-R [Behav. Res. Ther. 21 (1983) 685-692], and explored the factor structure, intensity, prevalence, and content of fears of Hellenic children aged 7-12 years. Internal consistency and temporal stability assessments of responding on the FSSC-GR were comparable to those obtained on the FSSC-R. A seven-factor solution provided the best conceptual fit for the structure of children's fears in Greece, including five components similar to factors previously obtained for the FSSC-R, plus two unique components, "Travel and Agoraphobic Fears" and "School Performance Fears." Fear intensity and prevalence scores of Hellenic children were higher than scores observed in most countries. Self-reported fear scores were higher for Hellenic girls than for boys. The relation between age and self-reported fears in Greece was complex and interpreted in relation to age-related changes in environmental demands.