For youth who grow up in homes with parental violence, having strong relationships with other family members can increase their self-esteem and help lower anxiety, according to a new study at the University of Limerick in Ireland.
“Research has previously shown that strong social bonds can act as a beneficial psychological resource, especially in times of need. In this study, we investigated whether family bonds could help the self-esteem and anxiety of young people who had been exposed to domestic violence between their parents or caregivers whilst growing up,” said study leader and doctoral student Catherine Naughton.
For the study, about 465 young people between the ages of 17 and 25 years (70 percent female) completed an online survey which asked about their experiences of parental/caregivers’ domestic violence, family bonds, and psychological well-being.
The findings reveal that exposure to parental/caregivers’ domestic violence is linked to lower levels of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and weaker family bonds in young adults when compared to young people who grow up in non-affected homes.
[For more of this story, written by Traci Pedersen, go to http://psychcentral.com/news/2...-violence/86697.html]
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