AbstractsSociology

Prior research on sexual-minority youth is, in general, limited and often focuses on negative outcomes such as depressive symptoms and delinquency. Studies in the area have not often focused on the social network experiences of sexual minority youth, nor explored ways in which relationships with parents and peers influence depressive symptoms and delinquency involvement. In addition to levels of caring and trust, perceiving identity support from significant others may be especially important to sexual minority youths. Many prior studies are based on small convenience samples, while larger data sets often do not contain multidimensional assessments of parent and peer relationship qualities. In this investigation, the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) was employed as it contained measures of parent and peer relationship qualities, as well as scales measuring depressive symptoms and self-reported delinquency. This analysis explored the importance of trust, caring, and identity support as a source of protection from these negative outcomes. Additionally, it was speculated that such qualities may provide greater protection from negative outcomes for sexual-minority youth. Using a series of t-tests and ordinary least squares regressions, results showed that sexual-minorities reported significantly greater levels of depressive symptoms yet did not differ from heterosexual youths on levels of self-reported delinquency. Further analyses indicated that high levels of trust and identity support within the parent and friend relationships generally provided greater protection for all respondents. However, low identity support appeared to have a more deleterious effect on the depressive symptoms reported by sexual-minorities. Throughout these analyses, trust, closeness, and identity support did not act as a mediator of sexual-minority youths’ higher depressive symptoms, thus suggesting that other factors are at work. Analyses focused on delinquency indicated that sexual-minorities did not differ significantly from their heterosexual counterparts in this area. Results revealed that low identity support and trust within the parental relationship was significantly related to elevated delinquency, but deficits in peer relationships were not associated with this outcome. Rather, results revealed that delinquency of friends was a strong predictor, suggesting that social learning processes, rather than problematic peer relations are more significant as influences.