A comparative study of the self-esteem,sociometric status,and insight of referred and nonreferred school children

Elementary-grade children referred to a school-based mental health program were compared with randomly selected classmates on measures of self-esteem, sociometric status, and insight. Interrelationships among criterion measures also were examined. Referred children had significantly lower self-esteem, peer acceptance, and insight than did the comparison group, even though these variables were modestly intercorrelated. Thus, the study lends support to the trend in prior research associating deficits in such variables with school maladjustment.