• Ansa Muzaffar
• Dr Mohammad Imran

A dysfunctional family can be defined as a family system in which conflict, misbehavior, and emotional or psychological problems are prevalent and interfere with the healthy functioning of the family unit. According to Dr. David M. Allen, a psychiatrist, dysfunctional families often experience a lack of effective communication, a lack of empathy, and a lack of clear boundaries among family members. Growing up in a dysfunctional family can have significant negative impacts on a child's development. According to research by Cummings and Davies (2010), children in dysfunctional families are more likely to experience emotional, behavioural, and academic difficulties than children in healthy families. Growing up in a dysfunctional family can have a significant impact on a child's self-esteem. Dysfunctional families are characterized by patterns of negative and unhealthy interactions between family members, such as poor communication, emotional neglect, and abuse (Hill, 2019). These interactions can lead to feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem in children. Children from dysfunctional families are more likely to struggle with self- esteem issues compared to children from healthy families. Children who grow up in dysfunctional families may internalize negative messages from their parents or caregivers, such as being told that they are not good enough or that their feelings and needs are unimportant. These negative messages can lead to feelings of shame and self-blame, which can further erode a child’s self-esteem over time. Dysfunctional family dynamics can have a profound impact on the development and experience of social anxiety as well. Dysfunctional families often lack healthy emotional support and validation. In these environments, children may not receive the necessary reassurance or understanding when it comes to their emotions and experiences. When their feelings are consistently disregarded or invalidated, they internalize the belief that their emotions are not important or worthy of attention. Consequently, individuals who grow up in such families may develop low self-esteem and a heightened fear of being judged or rejected by others in social situations. The present study aims to investigate how dysfunctional family affects the self esteem and social anxiety of young adults. A sample of 166 was taken aged 18-29. A non-random sampling was used for this study. The results indicated that there is no significant, negative correlation between the variables self esteem and dysfunctional family and there is low negative correlation between variables social anxiety and dysfunctional family.

Dysfunctional family, self-esteem, social anxiety, empathy

"Effect of dysfunctional family on self-esteem and social anxiety of young adults ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 6, page no.b524-b539, June-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2306166.pdf

"Effect of dysfunctional family on self-esteem and social anxiety of young adults ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 6, page no. ppb524-b539, June-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2306166.pdf