Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence & Adult Attachment in Close Relationships: Comparisons between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Individuals

Background: Despite a recent increase in research on physical and emotional sibling violence (PESV), examination of this form of family violence in individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual is sparse. While some research has examined prevalence rates of sibling physical assault in sexual minorities (Sterzing et al., 2019), to date, no research has examined the differences between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual individuals in relation to PESV and adult attachment in close relationships. The following exploratory research study strives to begin filling in this gap by examining differences in physical, emotional, and total sibling violence in childhood and closeness, dependency, and anxiety in close relationships in adulthood by sexual orientation.

Methods: This study uses data from a subsample (n=1501) of respondents who reported their sexual orientation and identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or heterosexual from a larger research project (n=2476) examining PESV and attachment in close relationships in adulthood. Upon IRB approval, participants were recruited from the sub-Reddit /r/SampleSize. Participants responded to survey items including demographic questions; the Revised Adult Attachment Scale-Close Relationships (Collins, 1996) which includes subscales on closeness, dependency, and anxiety in close relationships; and the frequency of experiencing PESV behaviors in childhood (Perkins, 2014). Along with demographics, data analysis included a series of independent t-tests and three regression models to examine potential differences between lesbian/gay/bisexual and heterosexual individuals on the attachment subscales of closeness, dependency, and anxiety as well as on frequency of experiencing physical, emotional, and total sibling violence in childhood.

Results: Of the sample, 125 were lesbian/gay/bisexual, 1376 were heterosexual, 67.8% identified as male, 79.3% were Caucasian, with an average age of 27.04. Each of the t-tests demonstrated a significant difference between groups with those in the lesbian/gay/bisexual group experiencing more physical, emotional, and total sibling violence as well as less closeness, less dependency, and more anxiety in close adult relationships than the heterosexual group. Each of the regression models was significant with both sexual orientation and PESV significantly predicting closeness (F(2, 1498) = 51.70, p < .001), dependency (F(2,1498) = 28.99, p < .001), and anxiety (F(2, 1498) = 16.37, p < .001) in close relationships in adulthood.

Implications and conclusion: This study examined the differences between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual individuals on PESV and adult attachment in close relationships. Results indicate that the lesbian, gay, and bisexual group experienced more PESV and fared worse in all aspects of adult attachment than the heterosexual group. Discrepancies between the groups highlight the need for further research to better understand the unique experiences individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual may have as a result of experiencing PESV and how those factors influence attachment in close relationships in adulthood.