engleski

Challenges of Studying Children and Youth Self- Concept in the Studies of Social-Behavioural Problems

Self-concept is a often studied concept among children and youth in relationship with social- behavioural problems, as a predictor of future functioning or as a base of intervention planning with youth. The comparison of data is often difficult since different instruments are used for measurement. This paper will summarise the experience of three different researches of self-concept conducted with children and youth (age 11-21) in Croatia with different intensity of social-behavioural problems. Participants in researches were: secondary school youth (F=560, M=432), children in children's homes (F/M=301) and boys and young men in conflict with law (non-institutional measures M=146, institutional measures M=126). The aim of this paper is to analyze the contribution of specific self-concept instruments used in three different researches in explaining social- behavioural problems of children and youth. Social self-concept was measured by using three types of instruments: 1. Marsh's Self- Description Questionnaire (45 items) 2. Offer's Self-Image Questionnaire (28 items) and 3. Coppersmith’s Self-esteem Questionnaire (25 items) Challenges faced in analysing and comparison of data were: different measurement instruments, too long instruments for younger age groups, differences in self-concept depending on their age (some self-concept instruments were for age groups 11 to 18 years or, 13 to 19 years), participants with more intensive social-behavioural problems had more difficulties in understanding and answering questions. All this has an impact on the validity and sensitivity of the results. Therefore better planning and preparing of researches, especially instruments of self- concept in children and youth with social- behavioural problems is necessary in order to get more reliable and valid results. In this presentation contribution of results and practical suggestions for self-concept researches in children and youth will be critically discussed.

self-concept ; adolescents ; researches ; socially unaceptable behaviour

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