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Gender, Delinquent Status, and Social Acceptance as Predictors of the Global Self‐Esteem of Teens
Author(s) -
Forney William Scott,
Forney Judith Cardona,
Crutsinger Christy
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
family and consumer sciences research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 1077-727X
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x04272364
Subject(s) - socialization , psychology , self esteem , self acceptance , juvenile delinquency , social acceptance , social psychology , social status , developmental psychology , sociology , social science
The combinations of gender, delinquent status, and social acceptance were examined as predictors of the global self‐esteem of teens. Participants ( N = 225) were aged 13 to 17 and included juvenile delinquents ( n = 60) and high school students ( n = 165) in one county in a southwest state. Factor analyses identified two dimensions of social acceptance (social verification, social interaction) and global self‐esteem (self‐respect, self‐acceptance). Multiple regression analyses revealed the combination of gender (males) as a weak predictor and social verification as a strong predictor for self‐acceptance and social interaction as a strong predictor for self‐respect. Delinquent status did not predict global self‐esteem. For these teens, the findings support the role of self‐confirming feedback in the development of self‐acceptance and the importance of socialization in forming self‐respect. Implications for building self‐esteem among teens are drawn for parents, high school teachers, and secondary schools.