Self-esteem and self-perception of adolescent mothers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ratings of self-esteem and self-perception by adolescent mothers who participated in an adolescent parent program. Self-esteem and self-perception were measured prior to participation in the program and again upon completion. The population for this study consisted of adolescent mothers between the ages of 15 and 20, none of which had completed high school. The two instruments utilized in the study were the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1985) and the Harter Self-Perception Scale for Adolescents (1988). Self-esteem and scholastic competence scores increased to a statistically significant degree after participation in the program. The values represented a 12.8% increase in self-esteem scores and an 18.2% increase in scholastic competence scores. Although not statistically significant, all other subscales increased between 5.4% and 12.2%, with an average of 9.2%