Citation

McCarthy JD, Hoge DR. Am. J. Sociol. 1984; 90(2): 396-410.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/228085

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sociologists have posited a relationship between self-esteem and delinquent behavior, though there is some disagreement about its direction and form. This review of recent panel analyses assessing the various theoretical viewpoints shows consistent support for only one of the posited relationships-that delinquent activity reduces subsequent self-esteem-and the support is rather weak. The paper evaluates the dynamics of the self-esteem-delinquent activity reduces subsequent self-esteem-and the support is rather weak. The paper evaluates the dynamics of the self-esteem-delinquency relationship, employing a three-wave panel study of adolescents which contains multiple measures of self-esteem and substantively interpretable subscales of self-reported delinquent behavior. The results show that the effect of self-esteem on subsequent self-esteem. These findings are robust across various subgroups of age, gender, family type, race, and mother's education. They are also consistent across the various measures of self-esteem and delinquent behavior. The weakness of the results suggests that researchers look elsewhere than self-esteem for a fuller understanding of delinquency.