مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی گرگان (Mar 2001)
Relation self-esteem and locus of control in delinquent male adolescence
Abstract
Problem behaviors of adolescence have severe adverse effects on teen age’s family and the society as well. Adolescence delinquency has been correlated with a variety of individual social demographical and biological variables such as locus of control (LOC) and self-esteem (SE). This study was designed to investigate the relationship between SE and LOC and delinquency in male adolescence. This case-control study was carried out with three questionnaires included demographic characteristic, Cooper Smith’s self-esteem scale, Rotter’s locus of control scale. The sample consisted of 35 delinquent adolescence from juvenile detention center (Case group) and 70 students from state’s high school and colleges (Control group). The age of subjects ranged from 15-20 years. The 2 groups were significantly different with respect to SES and LOCS. Also examining the correlations between SE and LOC showed that significant relationship was found between the 2 different groups of students. But no significant relationship was found between these 2 variables in delinquents the results of this study show there is a correlation between adolescent delinquency and locus of control and self-esteem. Therefore nurses can help the parents and those instructors who are responsible for looking after children and adolescent to adjust self-esteem and locus of control of these teen-agers who have not got any problem behavior. Also the locus of control of adolescence with problem behaviors has to be diverted from external to the internal dimension, and increase the self-esteem, and adolescent’s delinquency has to be replace with honesty. It is suggested that the next investigation to be about the relationship between the self-esteem and locus of control severity and items of the adolescent problematical behaviors. The manner of the parents behaves their children in relation to selfsteem and locus of control. It is also suggested to study the effectiveness of possible ways to up grade the self-esteem and to change the routs of locus of control for the problematic behaviors and delinquency.
