Familial understanding and self‐esteem development: Comparing sexual minority and heterosexual individuals

• Published date: 01 October 2023
• Author: Barrett Scroggs,Amber Vennum
• Date: 01 October 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12747

RESEARCH

Familial understanding and self-esteem development:

Comparing sexual minority and heterosexual

individuals

Barrett Scroggs

1

|Amber Vennum

2

1

Department of Human Development and

Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University,

Mont Alto, PA

2

Department of Applied Human Sciences,

Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Correspondence Barrett Scroggs, Department

of Human Development and Family Studies,

Pennsylvania State University–Mont Alto,

Mont Alto, PA 17237, USA.

Email: bws74@psu.edu

Funding information

Kansas State University College of Health and

Human Sciences

Abstract

Objective: The present study sought to explore how sup-

port from one’s family of origin predicts the development

of self-esteem across the transition to adulthood for sexual

minority individuals compared with their heterosexual

peers.

Background: Familial relationships have an influence on

the development of self-esteem. Additionally, lesbian, gay,

and bisexual emerging adults may perceive less support

from their families than heterosexual peers.

Methods: The present study used secondary data from the

National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult

Health study. The study conducted a multiple group latent

growth curve following the development of self-esteem.

Results: Results indicated that feeling as though one’s fam-

ily understood them in adolescence was significantly asso-

ciated with self-esteem during adolescence for both sexual

minority and majority individuals. Additionally, this sense

of feeling understood by one’s family was also associated

with the rate of change of the developmental trajectory of

self-esteem across four time points.

Discussion: The study illustrates the lasting influence one’s

family of origin has during this important developmental

moment. Results illustrated how familial understanding in

adolescence was significantly associated with the develop-

ment of self-esteem for both sexual minority and sexual

majority individuals.

Implications: The relationship with the family of origin has

a lasting impact into emerging adulthood, and practi-

tioners working with families can help ensure support for

sexual minority adolescents. This includes, but is not lim-

ited to, encouraging communication within the family to

build a sense of understanding.

Received:24January2021 Revised:6February2022 Accepted:18June2022

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12747

© 2022 National Council on Family Relations.

Family Relations. 2023;72:1875–1889. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare 1875