A comparative study of the self-esteem of adjudicated adolescent male drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders

• Main Author: Sherrod, Russia Rolette
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1991
• Subjects: Social Work
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/3178; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3980&context=dissertations

The overall objective of this study is to identify common characteristics of drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders to better understand and explore factors associated with their problems. To attain this objective, the following areas on the two groups were addressed: (a) family structure, (b) education, (c) peer association, (d) personal areas of their lives, and (e) self-esteem. A comparative research design was used in the study. Questionnaires were given to adolescent, adjudicated, black male residents in the Atlanta Youth Development Center, located in the Atlanta Metropolitan area. A population of 110 males from ages ten to seventeen were being housed at the time of the study. Of this population the sample study consisted of 50, 25 drug traffickers (Group I) and 25 assault and battery offenders (Group II). The hypotheses were as follows: (1) There is no statistical, significant difference in the mean scores between drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders with reference to their measure of education. (2) There is no statistical significant difference in the mean scores between drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders with reference to their measures of family support. (3) There is no statistical, significant difference in the mean scores between drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders with reference to their measures of peer relations. (4) There is no statistical, significant difference in the mean scores between drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders with reference to their measures of self-esteem. The study was an attempt to provide a clear understanding and common characteristics of adjudicated drug traffickers and assault and battery offenders' family status, peer groups and personal areas in relation to their self-esteem. The findings of the study revealed that both of the groups had low self-esteem; however, the assault and battery offenders had higher self-esteem than that of the drug traffickers.