Adolescent's Perception on Himself/Herself or

¶ … Adolescent's Perception on Himself/herself or Others on his/her Level of Self-esteem Over the past century, the concept of self-esteem has grown from an infantile theory to an indisputable set of mental health doctrines. It is almost universally preached by child psychologists that the higher a child's self-esteem level becomes, the healthier the mental state of the child will be.

Common understanding of the functionality of self-esteem also includes that perception of the self would directly correlate to how high or low one's self-esteem levels would be, and also that one's perception of others would be a determining factor of self-perception and self-esteem levels. It seems logical as well that having a positive self-image would translate into high self-esteem levels, and that high self-esteem would lead to positive behavior. However, self-esteem is not as simple as the motivational mantras of school counselors and self-help therapists would seem to imply.

The adolescent has a particularly complex relationship with self-perception and self-esteem because of many complicated internal and external factors affecting this age group. This area of study is particularly important because of the amount of importance that has been given to it; self-esteem is one of the most common concerns among those working with adolescents. In order for this approach to comprehending and assisting adolescents to be effectual, self-esteem theories must not be reduced to simplistic, generic platitude, but instead appreciated as complex and multidimensional.

Self-esteem is not the answer to the obstacles of adolescence, but rather an aid that can be utilized, if properly understood, to approach the solution. Many researchers have approached the complexity of self-esteem issues for the adolescent. Many theorists such as Rosenberg (1986, as cited in Wigfield et al. 1991) have suggested that the many changes experienced during early adolescence have a significant impact on student self-perceptions and self-esteem. These changes include the biological changes of puberty and social changes involving the transition between schools.

Theorists have also studied evidence that during this transitory period, students will have more anxiety and lower self-concepts about particular abilities and traits during this time period. Furthermore, these changes in self-perceptions are accompanied by a lasting sense of lower self-esteem in general. The self-esteem levels are also less stable during adolescence. (Rosenberg et al., 1973 as cited in Wigfield et al., 1991) Swaim and Wayman (2004) discuss the conflicting evidence relating low self-esteem in adolescents to socially irresponsible and self-destructive behaviors such as alcohol use.

One of factors that make this link difficult to confirm is the simplistic approach to self-esteem that most researchers take. According to Swaim and Wayman, the method that will overcome the shortcomings of previous research is a global measurement of self-esteem rather than a two-dimensional one. Self-esteem must be combined with other components of emotional distress, such as the factors which affect perceptions of the self and of other peers. Factors should include competence, confidence, and acceptance, among others.

Behaviors that are considered to be negative by society may not be the factors that most strongly affect self-perceptions and self-esteem, however. As noted by Mosley (1995), factors which are interpreted and internalized as negative will have a significant impact on self-esteem, even if they are not socially irresponsible. Mosley's example is that adolescent receipt of welfare is associated with lower levels of perceived self-worth.

Mosley notes the importance of self-esteem on the mental health and ability of children and adolescents, as noted in previous research (Wilson & Portes, 1975 as cited in Mosley, 1995). Rosenberg and Pearlin (1978) found little relationship between social class and self-esteem, while other researchers have found conclusive links between income/class and self-esteem. This is perhaps because the link is actually between self-perception and self-esteem. Rosenberg and Simmons (1972) concluded that the self-esteem of Black children is not affected by income or class, while other races may be.

The deciding factor for some may be the perception of others, not perception of the self. There is a complex relationship between perceptions of the self, behaviors that are perceived as negative, the perception of others, and self-esteem of the adolescent. The traditional two-dimensional views of self-esteem must be abandoned.