NCJ Number
195226
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2002 Pages: 433-441
Date Published
2002
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study was interested in seeking the underlying causes of adolescent violence by probing the relationship between low self-esteem, lack of concern for self, and the propensity to engage in violent acts.
Abstract
The authors of this study hypothesized that there may be a link between low self-esteem, lack of self-concern, and adolescent violence. A questionnaire survey was completed by 13,650 students at five Local Education Authorities in Northern England, Midlands, and London. The questionnaire focused on self-esteem issues, lack of self-concern measures, and levels of cigarette, alcohol, and illegal drug use. The authors made use of descriptive statistics, cross-tabular analysis, and binary logistic regression models to arrive at their findings. The results indicated support for the hypothesis that low self-esteem and lack of self-concern contributed to the problem of adolescent violence. However, the authors point out that these findings are only a first step in understanding the widespread and ever growing problem of violence among adolescents. Many factors that occur in the lives of youths were not considered, therefore future research must begin to fill in these gaps in knowledge. Tables, references