SOCIOENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL-PROBLEMS IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE

Tested the role of self-esteem as a mediator of relationships between socio-environmental experiences and emotional/behavioral problems usin g a sample of 215 young adolescents (Grades 7-9). Socioenvironmental e xperiences were assessed using self-report questionnaire measures of s ocial support and major and minor stressful events. Self-esteem was as sessed using a self-report questionnaire, an interview, and a parent-r eport questionnaire. Emotional/behavioral problems were assessed using self-report, parent-report and teacher-report questionnaires. Utilizi ng structural equation modeling, the data were used to test a model in which self-esteem mediated the relationship between socioenvironmenta l experiences and emotional/behavioral problems. The hypothesized mode l provided a reasonably good fit to the data (normed fit index = .90). However, an alternative model which also allowed for direct effects o f socioenvironmental experiences on emotional/behavioral problems prod uced a significant improvement in model fit. In this model, socio-envi ronmental experiences had significant effects on emotional problems vi a both direct effects and indirect effects that indicated a mediating role of self-esteem. Only direct effects of socioenvironmental experie nces were evident for behavioral problems.