The problem of low self-esteem is not generally a widespread problem for children of the majority population; however, for the children seen in the juvenile justice system, low self-esteem is a significant problem that is present and may have been pivotal in their entry into this system.

In his article, "Indispensable Self-Esteem," Dr. James Gill indicates that a child born into a normal family senses the abundance of affection, esteem, and tenderness directed his/her way and feels wanted and special. That child grows to perceive his/her own worth.

This is the condition in the normal family; however, the majority of the children seen in the juvenile justice system are from dysfunctional families, not having a normal family ambiance--hence, they enter the juvenile justice system having very low self-esteem.

Self-esteem is defined in a number of ways by various people. Generally, however, it is understood to mean that one feels good about himself, he values himself, he loves himself, etc. However, the working definition in this discussion is taken from Nathaniel Branden's, The Psychology of Self-Esteem. He advances the notion that self-esteem has two interrelated aspects: it entails a sense of personal efficacy and a sense of personal worth. Branden argues that self-esteem is "the integrated sum of self-confidence and self-respect--the conviction that one is competent to live and worthy of living." This is a restatement of his "two interrelated aspects" notion.

A sense of personal efficacy, as the first interrelated aspect, is really a sense of competence and power to effectuate an intended purpose. For a child, the range of effective influences he/she can have is limited--getting parents to like him/her, friends to like him (to like his looks), to like who he is, etc., and being able to exercise other age appropriate powers. "Efficacy" is to bring about the desired results. If a child does not have the power to bring about age appropriate ends, he won't have a sense of personal efficacy--he will have a sense of powerlessness. Often psychologists see this sense of powerlessness through the art work of children--armless persons, imprisoned persons, etc.

The second interrelated aspect of self-esteem is "a sense of personal worth." To have a sense of personal worth one must have a sense of self-value as a human being and have the dignity that is inherent in one's being. Having a dignity of being is having respect from others; others will then modify their behavior toward the respected person. Self-respect is derived from others' perceptions and from one's own sense of efficacy. The dignity of being is that dignity and respect that is (should be) accorded to all human life. It is universally accepted that human life is precious and is to be uplifted. Whereas one is by birth accorded a dignity of being (in normal, civilized societies) that dignity may be enhanced by a number of factors (class, education, achievements, etc.). Indeed, some argue that from the universally accepted concept of the dignity of human life comes the major aspects of our sense of morality.

So, when looking at Branden's definition of self-esteem, paraphrased, there are two ingredients required: a sense of power and a sense of dignity (or respect as a person). These ingredients are so important that Branden uses hyperbole as he argues that self-esteem is the most important value--judgment humans will pass on themselves and as he says that it has a profound impact upon their entire range of human endeavor: "It is the single most significant key to his behavior."

These actions have been seen in many of the youths who come through the juvenile court system. Much of their negative behavior could be attributed to low self-esteem. Branden argues that a child of low self-esteem may exhibit behavior that may be driven by flagrantly self-destructive goals. Indeed, Branden states, "the need for self-esteem is inherent in human nature."

William Glasser, MD, author of Reality Therapy, looks at self-esteem in a different way. He does not, seemingly, directly address the issue, per se, but he argues that psychiatry should be concerned with two basic psychological needs: the need to love and be loved and the need to feel that we are worthwhile to ourselves and others. He indicates that these are the needs of all humans.

To fulfill these universal human needs, a person must be emotionally attached to someone. This is usually a birth to death attachment. It need not be a single person to whom there is attachment; it can be a number of people. This attachment satisfies the need to love and be loved by others. A sense of being worthwhile to ourselves and to others usually comes with the love and nurture that the normal family showers on the child, as James Gill has indicated.

People have different abilities to achieve fulfillment of their needs, and when one is unable to fulfill one or both of these Glasser articulated needs, he/she will feel pain and discomfort. And when one feels pain, human generosity is at its best-one shares that pain quite freely with those around him. Therefore, learning to fulfill needs is a lesson that should be taught beginning in infancy and continued throughout one's life or else not only will the individual experience the pain and discomfort resulting from unmet needs, but all those around him or in his path may feel his pain. Glasser argues that a failure to learn methods of fulfilling one's needs may cause suffering that drives an individual to unrealistic means, often causing others to suffer. Therefore, fulfilling one's needs must be responsibly done, i.e., one individual must not deprive another of his/her ability to fulfill his/her needs as he attempts to fulfill his own needs, which would empower the family, hence, the children of that family. This is especially necessary in the inner city urban areas, from which an inordinate number of juvenile court cases come.

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