RELATIONS AMONG FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SELF-ESTEEM, AND DELINQUENCY IN ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among family structure, family cohesion, family conflict, and academic achievement, with self esteem and delinquency in adolescence. The subjects were 124 males and 88 females. Data was analysed separately for males and females. Family structure was not predictive of self-esteem and delinquency in both males and females. On the other hand, family cohesion was found to be positively related to self-esteem across both sexes. Both cohesion and conflict is related to both self-esteem and delinquency in males. In females however, cohesion was significantly related to self-esteem but not to delinquency, and conflict was neither related to self-esteem nor to delinquency, These sex differences in patterns of relationships suggest that males may be more affected by family processes than females. Academic achievement was not found to be related to self-esteem and delinquency. Findings of this study support the shift from looking at structural variables to process variables in understanding human development. Gender differences in the patterns of relationships among variables point to current theoretical limitations in the area of juvenile delinquency.