Self-Esteem and Adolescent Problems: Modeling Reciprocal Effects

TLDR

Self‑esteem has been viewed as either a social force or product, yet reciprocal effects with social and personal factors have received insufficient attention. The study used a panel of 1,886 adolescent boys to examine reciprocal links between self‑esteem and delinquency, school performance, and depression. Low self‑esteem promotes delinquency, which can in turn raise self‑esteem, and these reciprocal effects vary by socioeconomic status; school performance mainly influences self‑esteem, while depression shows a bidirectional relationship.

Abstract

Past research has treated self-esteem either as a social force or as a social product. However, this research has not given adequate attention to the reciprocal effects of the self-concept and various social and personal factors. A panel of 1886 adolescent boys is used to explore the reciprocal relationships between self-esteem and three problems of youth: juvenile delinquency; poor school performance; and psychological depression. Wefind that low self-esteem fosters delinquency and that delinquency may enhance self-esteem. These reciprocal effects differ among socioeconomic status groups. The relationship between self-esteem and school performance is primarily attributable to the effect of school performance on self-esteem. Finally, the causal relationship between self-esteem and depression is bidirectional. Substantive, methodological, and policy implications of these findings are discussed.