Family Relationships and Self-Esteem in Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to examine the connection between family relationships and self-esteem, as well as to reveal the existence or non-existence of gender differences among adolescents in terms of the perception of family relationships and the level of self-esteem. The research was carried out on a convenience sample of 120 people, 51 men and 69 women. The respondents were first, second, third and fourth year students in a high school in Skopje, N. Macedonia. The Scale for the Quality of Family Interaction prepared by Aneta Vulic - Prtoric, the Scale for Perception of Family Relationships prepared by Ivana Macuka and the Coopersmith Inventory were used as instruments. The findings from this research indicate that there are no gender-based differences in how adolescents perceive family relationships. However, the study revealed that male adolescents generally possess greater self-esteem than females. Additionally, the results show a correlation between how family relationships are perceived and self-esteem levels. A positive correlation exists between the general atmosphere in the family environment, parental acceptance, and parental emotionality and self-esteem. Conversely, a negative association is noted between parental rejection, and parental control and self-esteem.