Using a sample of rural early adolescents the present study found delinquent adolescents to have a lower self-concept than their nondelinquent counterparts, especially in the areas of body image, moral and ethical self, and family self-concept. These delinquents showed significant signs of maladjustment on the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale but accepted their negative self-image. Supplementary questions indicated that the delinquent group felt emotionally distant from their families, over reliant on their peers, and saw little hope for their future.
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