Relation between Self-Esteem and Delinquent Behavior in Three Ethnic Groups

Abstract

The hypothesis that low levels of self-esteem are related to high frequencies of delinquent behaviors was examined in three ethnic groups in the United States (blacks, whites, and hispanics). Item response theory was first used to assess the measurement equivalence of a 10-item self-esteem scale and a 7-item delinquent behavior scale across the three groups. Two biased items from the self-esteem scale were eliminated, and the relation between the remaining eight items and the delinquent behavior scale was examined in the three groups. Regression analyses showed that the proposed hypothesis may hold for the white sample, but not for the black and hispanic samples. It was also found that although whites and blacks reported similar levels of self-esteem, hispanics reported somewhat lower levels. Methodological and substantive implications of the results are discussed.