Self-Esteem in Children I Am

Self-Esteem in Children I am interested in studying self-esteem in children. I am interested in this topic because self-esteem appears to have an effect on so many facets of a child's life. With an increasing overweight and obese population, violence in schools, and other societal problems, low self-esteem may be at the center. I would like to see if improving a child's self-esteem really does have a positive effect on other problems. Diamantopoulou, S., Rydell, a., & Henricsson, L. (Aug 2008).

Can both low and high self-esteem be related to aggression in children? Social Development, 17(3), 682-698. Gause, M., Simpson, C., & Biggs, M. (Winter 2009). Targeting obesity: A change in focus. Southeastern Teacher Education Journal, 2(1), 13-21. Menon, M., Tobin, D., Menon, M., Corby, B., Hodges, E., & Perry, D. (Nov 2007). The developmental costs of high self-esteem for antisocial children. Child Development, 78(6), 1627-1639. Abstract for Diamantopoulou, Rydell, & Henricsson (2008): This study examined the opposing hypotheses that either low or exaggerated but disputed self-esteem is related to aggression in 652-12-year-old schoolchildren.

Children provided peer nominations of social acceptance and of physical aggression, self-ratings of global self-worth and of social satisfaction. Teachers rated aggressive behavior and internalizing problems. Exaggerated but disputed self-esteem was conceptualized as discrepancies between self and peer evaluations of social satisfaction and of social acceptance, respectively, in combination with peer rejection. The main results showed that both low levels of global self-worth and exaggerated but disputed self-esteem were related to aggression.

The findings indicated that, depending on how self-esteem is conceptualized, aggressive children may appear to have both a low and a high self-esteem. Regarding gender differences, exaggerated self-esteem was more strongly related to aggression in boys than in girls. Abstract for Gause, Simpson & Biggs (2009): "Within the United States, schools offer many opportunities for developing obesity-prevention strategies" (Paxson, Donahue, Orleans, & Grisso, 2006, pg. 9). Many programs are offered in the schools, but most are single faceted programs targeting obesity through reformed nutritional programs or increasing physical activity within the schools.

Minimal program offerings and research are available that have a multi-faceted approach to addressing the self-esteem of children who are obese. However, such programs are necessary as "decreasing levels of self-esteem in obese children were associated with significantly increased rates of sadness, loneliness, and nervousness compared with obese children whose self-esteem increased or remained unchanged" (Strauss, 2000, pg. 15).

This article addresses the need to develop more thorough programs involving the collaborative efforts of individuals, including the social worker, skilled in designing effective fitness programs, teaching nutritional standards, and addressing the concerns of low self-esteem in adolescents, including those already identified as obese.