Relationship between aggression and self-concept in adolescents seen in mental health centers.

Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between aggression and self-concept in adolescents seen in mental health centers. The effects of age, gender, and level of pubertal development on aggression and self-concept were also studied. There were 61 adolescents who participated in the study. Participants were administered the Student Self-Concept Scale (SSCS) to assess level of self-concept, and the Youth Self-Report (YSR) to assess level of aggression. In addition, a pubertal questionnaire was filled out by parents/guardians to assess level of pubertal development. A 2 x 2 x 3 factorial analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. The results yielded no significant findings. However, the SSCS proved to be a useful tool in determining the participants' self-concept levels, as well as distinguishing their views on desirable social characteristics and how they viewed themselves in light of those characteristics. The SSCS could be a very valuable tool to utilize in mental health and school settings, as scores on the SSCS transmit to specific intervention development. More research on the current topic is certainly warranted, given that several previous studies have found a relationship between aggression and self-concept and aggression and self-esteem.