Skip to main content
Log in

The self-concept of homeless adolescents

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Thirty adolescents who had lived away from home for at least six months were compared on self-concept with 120 adolescents living at home. The latter group was divided into equal numbers of adolescents who were employed, unemployed, school students, and college students. The Offer Self-image Questionnaire for Adolescents was used to measure self-concept. Other measures used were the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hopelessness Scale of Beck et al.,and the Rotter Internal External Locus of Control Scale. These were used to examine the relationship between deficits in self-concept and psychopathology. Environmental factors such as family relationships, employment, school achievement, and friendships were also examined. It was found that homeless adolescents demonstrated significant deficits in five areas of self-concept and a specific pattern of deficits was related to hopelessness. Results were discussed with reference to the theory that acting-out behavior mitigates the impact of affective disturbance on self concept.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allport, G. W. (1955).Becoming. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrera, M., and Garrison-Jones, C. V. (1988). Properties of the Beck Depression Inventory as a screening instrument for adolescent depression.J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 16: 263–273.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., and Erbaugh, J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 4: 53–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Kovacs, M., and Weissman, A. (1975). Hopelessness and suicidal behavior: An overview.JAMA 234: 1146–1149.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. P., and Emery, G. (1979).Cognitive Theory of Depression. Guildford Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., and Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: A hopelessness scale.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 42: 861–865.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burns, R. B. (1979).The Self Concept. Longman, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coche, E., and Taylor, S. (1974). Correlations between the OSIQ for adolescents and the MMPI in a psychiatric hospital population.J. Youth Adolesc. 3: 145–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooley, C. H. (1902).Human Nature and the Social Order. Scribner, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coopersmith, S. (1967).The Antecedents of Self-Esteem. Freeman, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S. (1973). The self-concept revisited.Am. Psychol. 28: 404–416.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. (1968).Identity: Youth and Crisis. Faber and Faber, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hjorth, C. (1980). The self concept, self image and body image of the physically abused adolescent. Ph.D. dissertation, California Graduate Institute of Los Angeles.

  • Howell, M. C., Emmons, E. B., and Frank, D. A. (1973). Reminiscences of runaway adolescents.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 43: 840–853.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James, W. (1910).Psychology: The Briefer Course. Holt, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, L. J. (1988). Self-image of emotionally disturbed adolescents.J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 16: 111–126.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krawitz, G. (1985). The relationship of family structure to runaway behavior. Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New York, Buffalo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maar, Joyce, E. (1985). Critical factors related to adolescent runaway behavior in the state of Florida. Ph.D. dissertation, The Florida Stale University.

  • Mead, G. H. (1934).Mind, Self, and Society. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nekanda-Trepka, C. J. S., Bishop, S., and Blackburn, I. M. (1983). Hopelessness and depression.Brit. J. Clin. Psychol., 22: 49–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D. (1969).The Psychological World of the Teen-ager. Basic, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D., and Howard, K. I. (1972). An empirical analysis of the Offer Self Image Questionnaire for Adolescents.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 27: 529–533.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D., Ostrov, E., and Howard, K. I. (1982).The Offer Self-Image Questionnaire for Adolescents: A Manual, (rev. ed.). Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D., Ostrov, E., and Howard, K. I. (1986). Self-image, delinquency and help-seeking behavior among normal adolescents. In Feinstein, S. (ed.),Adolescent Psychiatry (Vol. 13). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ostrov, E., Offer, D., and Howard, K. I. (1982). Values and self-conceptions held by normal and delinquent adolescent males.J. Psychiatr. Treat. Eval. 4: 503–509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pope, A. W., McHale, S. M., and Craighead, W. E. (1988).Self-Esteem Enhancement with Children and Adolescents. Pergamon, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, C. R. (1951).Client Centered Therapy. Houghton Mifflin, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1965).Society and the Adolescent Self Image. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rotter, J. G. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.Psychol. Monogr. 80: 609 (whole number).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, I. S. (1985). Runaway adolescents: Dysfunctional marital and parental communications. Ph.D. dissertation, United States International University.

  • Siegel, L. J., and Griffin, N. J. (1984). Correlates of depressive symptoms in adolescents.J. Youth Adolesc. 13: 475–487.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silbereisen, R. K., and Zank, S. (1984). Development of self-related cognitions in adolescents. In Schwarzer, R. (ed.),The Self in Anxiety, Stress and Depression. Elsevier, North Holland.

  • Soriano, M. (1985). Perception and communication differences among runaways, their nonrunaway siblings and their parents. Ph.D. dissertation, United States International University.

  • Teri, L. (1982). The use of the Beck Depression Inventory with adolescents.J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 10: 277–284.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turley, P. (1988). Homeless young people: A psychological study.Bull. Nat. Clearing. Youth Studies 7: 23–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolk, S., and Brandon, J. (1977). Runaway adolescents' perceptions of parents and self.Adolescence 12: 175–187.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received her master's of clinical psychology from Macquarie University, Australia. Major interest is adolescent psychopathology and clinical work with homeless adolescents.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Miner, M.H. The self-concept of homeless adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 20, 545–560 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540637

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540637

Keywords

Navigation