es, asserts that an individuals self-esteem is perceived in terms of the personal qualities in which the person associates to the aspired characteristics of the self as well as the degree of fondness of the perceived self. In other words, an individuals self esteem is based on characteristics that they view to be important to their self-concept. Verkuyten (1990) further explains this idea by discussing how one person may view himself/herself as being nonathletic, but whether this has negative effects on his/her self-esteem depends upon whether he/she thinks it is important to be good at sports.In their research, Block and Robins (1993) found that self-esteem tends to change in some ways yet is also consistent in the transition from early adolescence to early adulthood and stays continuous in other ways throughout the life span. This notion implies importance for the understanding of adolescent self-esteem, especially if an individual presents a negative self-concept. To understand the ramifications of self-esteem, the elements that have been found to correlate with it need to be explored.Research has found that many components may contribute to the perceived self-esteem of the adolescent. This paper will focus on factors of parental behavior, school transitions, ethnicity, adolescent friendships, and body image in relation to self-esteem. By exploring these factors, a greater understanding of adolescent self-esteem will be achieved. This examination will be accomplished through discussion of previous research and the relevance of future research in this area.Parental Behaviors and Adolescent Self-esteemIn their study, Barber and Chadwick (1992) discuss that adolescents use behaviors of significant others to perceive their own self-worth. When parents demonstrate support, this conveys to the adolescent that he/she is a person of worth and value. On the other hand, when negative parenting behaviors are used, such as inconsistent ...
