The development of self esteemduring childhood

The term 'self esteem' is one that comes with many definitions. A common theme that arises from the various meanings is that it is to do with value - an evaluation of the self. In other words, self esteem could also be described as ‘self worth or ‘self image’. (Santrock, 2001: 380) I would describe self esteem as an experience; a way of experiencing the self. This is, of course, a subjective experience and hence influenced by different intervening factors. In this discussion, I will focus on the impact of parents, identity, belonging, achievement, security and attachment on the development of self esteem during childhood. For the purposes of this discussion, I am assuming that it is during the growth phase of childhood that much cognitive and personal development, including that of self esteem, occurs.

Many factors influence our self esteem. Arguably, none is likely to be as important as the influence of parents, due to the values they instil. These can lead a child either to...