The Stabilization of Self-Esteem among Incarcerated Adolescents: Accommodative and Immunizing Processes

Abstract

The negative effect of a custodial sentence on juvenile self-esteem is discussed. It is argued that individual coping resources offer an explanation for the inconclusive findings of earlier studies in this field. Findings of a cross-sectional study of 299 prisoners (14 to 24 years) are presented. The results show that the stability of self-esteem during incarceration depends on both accommodative and immunizing coping reactions. Prisoners who do not possess at least one of these coping resources show particularly low self-esteem at the start of their term of imprisonment. This creates the misleading impression that for the average individual, selfesteem increases during a period of custody. The study also shows that in the latter period of a prison term, accommodative coping resources also tend to support an increase in immunizing reactions. Implications for longitudinal studies and for practical interventions in the juvenile custody system are discussed.