Care or Overprotection? Perceived Parental Bonding and Students’ Intentions to Seek School Counseling: The Mediating Role of Biological Sex

This study aims to examine how perceived parental bonding (through the dimensions of care and overprotection) relates to students’ intentions to use school counselling services, with biological sex as a psychosocial mediator. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with a maximum likelihood estimator to test direct and indirect relationships among variables. The findings indicate that parental overprotection has a direct and significant effect on students’ intentions to consult school counselling services, whereas the care dimension does not show a significant direct effect. However, both parental bonding dimensions exert indirect effects through biological sex, indicating that caregiving experiences are interpreted differently within biological sex role frameworks and shape students’ readiness to seek help. These findings affirm that the intention to consult is influenced not only by the level of problems experienced by students, but also by relational background and biological sex construction. Practically, these results underscore the importance for school counselors of considering caregiving experiences and biological sex dynamics in assessment, service approaches, and school counselling outreach strategies so that services are more responsive to students’ needs.