Gender self-concept profiles of adolescents suspended from high school.
The gender self-concept profiles of 128 adolescents (107 males) whose persistent behaviour problems led to suspension from school were investigated. Establishing the students' percentile ratings in the 11 subscales of the Self-Description Questionnaire overcame previous methodological weaknesses. For boys and girls Physical Appearance, Opposite-sex Relationships, and Honesty and Trustworthiness were in the average range, but Parent Relationships, General Self, and General School self-concepts were low. Only girls were low for Same-sex Relationships and Emotional Stability. The profiles suggest that boys' antisocial behaviours are associated with striving for a masculine self-image, but girls' antisocial behaviours are associated with greater social marginalisation. The issues of multi-focused interventions, prosocial role models, the particular needs of girls, and the relationship between self-control, self-enhancement, and reputation enhancement theories are discussed.
Hay
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I
Faculty of Education, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I.Hay@mailbox.gu.edu.au
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D012940:Social Problems; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires