ETHNICITY SELF-ESTEEM AND CUSTODIAL ADJUSTMENT IN YOUNG OFFENDERS

The Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory (Battle, 1992) and the Custodia l Adjustment Questionnaire (Thornton, 1987) were administered to each of a group of white, black and Asian inmates of a young offenders inst itution. Results showed that Asian inmates scored significantly lower on all self-esteem measures and significantly higher on inmate distres s than either of the other groups. Self-esteem was also found to be si gnificantly negatively correlated with inmate distress. The main expla nations for the findings centred around suggestions that separation fr om the family reduces ethnic identity in Asian inmates and thus result s in a lowered ability to stave off attacks to self-esteem and hence a dapt to custodial life, although caution was exercised in these explan ations since no direct measure of ethnic identity was taken.