Galore International Journal of Health Sciences and Research

Vol.2; Issue: 4; Oct.-Dec. 2017

Website: www.gijhsr.com
Original Research Article P-ISSN: 2456-9321

Assertiveness and Self-Esteem in Indian Adolescents

Dr. Valliammal Shanmugam1, Dr. B.V. Kathyayini2
1
Lecturer in Pediatric Nursing, 2Professor & Principal,
College of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka State, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Valliammal Shanmugam
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACT majority) but largely characterized as

beginning and ending with the teenage
Assertiveness and self-esteem in adolescents are stage. [2]
the instruments for expressing themselves Adolescence is a period of
without any psychological disturbances in preparation for adulthood during which time
different situations. It is essential for a better
several key developmental experiences
emotional wellbeing and to maintain socially
supportive relationships. occur. [2] Besides physical and sexual
Methodology: A descriptive correlation survey maturation, developmental experiences
research design was adopted for the collecting include movement toward social and
data from sixty adolescents from a selected economic independence, and development
children hospital, OPD, Bangalore using simple of identity, the acquisition of skills needed
random sampling technique. Rathus to carry out adult relationships and roles,
Assertiveness Schedule and Rosenberg Self- and the capacity for abstract. [3]
Esteem Scale were used to assess the Adolescents go through many
assertiveness and self-esteem in adolescents. changes. One characteristics feature seen in
The data were analysed using descriptive and the adolescents is self-hatred. This is a
inferential statistics.
strange emotion, it is outrageously common
Results: Majority of the adolescents were
moderately assertive, 75% and 53.33% had high in teenagers and it can be extremely hard to
self-esteem. A significant positive correlation get out of the rut it creates. [4] Low-self-
was (rs=0.64) was found between the assertive esteem is also associated with feelings of
behaviour and self-esteem of the adolescents. being weak, helpless, hopeless, frightened,
Significant association were found between the fragile, in-complete, worthless and
assertive scores with the age & education level inadequate. They suffer from negative
of the adolescents(x2=7.16 & 6.13). Education thoughts and fail to recognize their
level of the adolescents was the only variable potential, they fear criticism and take
significantly associated between the assertive compliments negatively and are afraid to
and self-esteem scores (x2=14.08). take up responsibilities, and afraid of
forming their own opinion. [5]
Key words: Adolescents, assertiveness and self-
esteem Assertiveness is a form of behaviour
characterized by a confident declaration or
INTRODUCTION affirmation of a statement without need of
Adolescent period of transition starts proof; this affirms the person's rights or
at the age of 10 years and ceases by the age point of view without either aggressively
of 19 years. [1] Adolescence is a Latin word threatening the rights of another assuming a
and the meaning is “to grow up". It is a position of dominance or submissively
transitional stage of physical and mental permitting another to ignore or deny one's
human development generally occurring rights or point of view. [5]
between puberty and legal adulthood (age of Self-esteem can be broadly defined
as the overall evaluation of oneself in either

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Vol.2; Issue: 4; October-December 2017
 Valliammal Shanmugam et al. Assertiveness and Self-Esteem in Indian Adolescents

a positive or negative way (Hughes, J. N themselves (compared to 15% of girls with

etal, 2005). It is one of the basic needs of high self-esteem). [9]
human being. The degree of our self-esteem One of the main factors in teen
impacts every major aspect of our lives. promiscuity is self-esteem. When a teen has
Deficits in self-esteem contribute to little or no self-confidence, he or she will
virtually all psychological problems. [6] use sex as a means to build confidence.
Recent years have seen a significant
Need For the Study increase in body dysmorphia in teen boys.
India has the largest population of Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a psychiatric
adolescents in the world being home to 243 disorder in which the affected person is
million individuals’ aged 10-19 years. excessively concerned about an imagined or
Nearly 90 per cent live in developing minor defect in their physical feature.
countries. Karnataka is the eighth largest Teenage boys can be prone to obsessive
state in India in terms of population. In exercising, binge eating, anorexia nervosa,
Karnataka about 21% of the population is bulimia, steroid abuse and diet aid abuse. It
comprised of adolescent population. is estimated that about 45% of Western men
Studies have found that one-third to are unhappy with their bodies 25 years ago,
one-half of adolescents struggle with low only 15% were unhappy with their bodies.
[10]
self-esteem, especially in early adolescence.
The results of low self-esteem can be Adolescent health has become an
temporary, but in serious cases can lead to increasingly important focus for
various problems including depression, governments, foundations, and behavioural
anorexia nervosa, delinquency, self-inflicted researchers. In contrast to other age groups,
injuries and even suicide. Self-esteem is mortality and morbidity rates for 10-25 year
related to school performance and olds have been increasing the past few
delinquency. Adolescents with low self- decades and there is increasing evidence
esteem are more likely to do poorly in that the health status of adolescents is not as
school, to become pregnant, or to high as was the case for their parents. [11]
impregnate a partner. [7] Investigator personally witnessed
Many studies have shown that low many adolescents having problems of low
self-esteem is actually a thinking disorder in self-esteem and non- assertive behavior.
which an individual views himself as Considering all these facts, the researcher
inadequate, unworthy, unlovable, and/or felt the need for finding the relationship
incompetent. Once formed, this negative between the assertive behavior and self-
view of self permeates every thought, esteem among adolescents.
producing faulty assumptions and on-going
self-defeating behaviour. [8] RESEARCH PROBLEM
A study have shown that 78% of A study to assess the correlation
girls with low self-esteem admit that it is between the assertive behaviour and self-
hard to feel good in school when you do not esteem among adolescents.
feel good about how you look (compared to
54% of girls with high self-esteem). 75% of Objectives of the Study
girls with low self-esteem reported engaging 1. To assess the level of assertive behavior
in negative activities such as disordered among adolescents
eating, cutting, bullying, smoking, or 2. To assess the level of self-esteem among
drinking when feeling badly about adolescents
themselves (compared to 25% of girls with 3. To correlate between the level of
high self-esteem). 61% of teen girls with assertive behavior and self-esteem
low self-esteem admit to talking badly about among adolescents.

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Vol.2; Issue: 4; October-December 2017
 Valliammal Shanmugam et al. Assertiveness and Self-Esteem in Indian Adolescents

4. To find out the association between the of Children hospital, Bangalore in the
assertive behavior and self-esteem of month of November, 2016, which involved
adolescents with their selected socio 60 adolescents selected through simple
demographic variables. random sampling technique. The inclusive
criteria of the study were, adolescents of
Operational Definitions both gender in the age group of 13 -19 years
1. Assertive behaviour and who can speak English and the local
It refers to the behaviour which enables language. Data were collected using
adolescents to act in his or her own best standardised questionnaires, and were
interest, to stand up for herself or analyzed through descriptive and inferential
himself, without undue anxiety, to statistics with SPSS version 17.
express honest feeling comfortably, or to
exercise personal rights without denying Data collection Tools
the rights of others which is measured Tools consist of three sections:
using Rathus Assertiveness Schedule. Section A: Socio Demographic variables: It
2. Self esteem includes the base line information of
It refers to adolescents overall adolescents such as age, gender, religion,
evaluation or appraisal of his or her own education of father, education of mother
worth which is measured by using ,occupation of father, occupation of mother,
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. monthly income family, type of family,
3. Adolescents education level, Area of residence.
It refers to individuals in the age group Section B: Rathus Assertiveness Schedule
of 13-19 years and includes both girls (30 items) was used to assess the assertive
and boys. behaviour. There are 14 items for assertive
behaviour and 16 items for non-assertive
Assumptions behaviour. Scoring of assertive behaviour is
1. Adolescents may not have assertive given as 05 for Very much like me, 04 for
behaviour and have a low self-esteem. rather like me, 03 for somewhat like me, 02
2. Assertive behaviour may improve self- for somewhat unlike me, 01 for rather
esteem of adolescence. unlike me and zero for very unlike me.
3. Assertive behaviour and self-esteem Reverse scoring is done for the non-
may vary with the selected socio assertive behaviour. The total score of
demographic variables of the assertive behaviour ranged from 0-150 for
adolescents. 30 items. Levels of assertiveness were
classified as very highly assertive (121-
Research Hypotheses 150), highly assertive (91-120), moderately
H1: There is a significant correlation assertive (61-90), less assertive (31-60),
between level of assertive behavior and self- very less assertive (0-30).
esteem among adolescents. Section C: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
H2: There is a significant association (10 items) was used to assess the self-
between the selected socio demographic esteem. There were five items for positive
variables and with the scores of assertive self-esteem and five items for negative self-
behaviour and self-esteem. esteem. They were scored for positive self-
esteem as 03 for strongly agree, 02 for
MATERIALS AND METHODS agree, one for disagree and zero for strongly
This research employed quantitative disagree. Reverse scoring is done for the
descriptive correlation survey design. The negative self-esteem. The total score of self-
study variables were assertive behaviour esteem ranged from 0-30 for 10 items.
and self-esteem of adolescents. This study Levels of self-esteem were classified as very
was conducted in the Outpatient department high self-esteem (25-30), high self-esteem

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Vol.2; Issue: 4; October-December 2017
 Valliammal Shanmugam et al. Assertiveness and Self-Esteem in Indian Adolescents

(19-24), moderate self-esteem (13-18), low these study findings are similar to the
self-esteem (07-12), very low self-esteem findings of Aghajani .M et al, 2010. [14]
(0-06).
Data collection Procedure:

Percentage distribution of Assertive behaviour in

80 75
After obtaining formal
administrative approval and institutional 70
ethical clearance from the concerning
60
authorities and informed consent from the
samples parents the investigator personally 50

adolescents
collected the demographic data for a period
40
three weeks.
30
20
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
20
The present study was aimed to
assess the correlation between the assertive 10 3.33 1.66
0
behaviour and self-esteem among 0
adolescents. The study was unique in nature,
as the patient participants were
asymptomatic, hence they may be the true
representative of the target population. In
the present study fig.1, shows that 75% of
Fig: 1 Assessment of level of assertive behaviour among
the adolescents were moderately assertive, adolescents
20% of them were highly assertive, 3.33%
of them were less assertive, 1.66% of them Fig: 1 highlights that 75% of the adolescents
were very less assertive and none of them were moderately assertive, 20% of them
were very highly assertive. Fig.2 shows that were highly assertive, 3.33% of them were
53.33% of the adolescents had high self- less assertive, 1.66% of them were very less
esteem, 41.6% had moderate level of self- assertive and none of them were very highly
esteem, and 1.66 % of them had assertive.
respectively very high, very low & low self-
esteem. And also a significant positive
correlation (rs=0.64 at p<0.005) was found
60
between the assertive behaviour and self- 53.33
Percentage distribution of Self esteem in

esteem of the adolescents (table 1). Among

50
the adolescent participants it was found that 41.6
the age and the educational level of the 40
adolescents had a major influence in
Adolescents

development of assertiveness and self- 30

esteem, as the age and the education level of 20
the adolescents were high the level of 20

assertiveness and self-esteem were also

10
increased(Table 2). These findings were in 1.66 1.66
coinciding with the findings of Tesring et al, 0
2009 &Tachan et al, 2012. [12,13] In the very
highly
high self
esteem
moderate
self
low self
esteem
very low
self
current study, a positive significant self esteem esteem
esteem
correlation (rs=0.64 at p<0.005) was found
between the assertive behaviour and self-
Fig: 2 Assessment of level of self-esteem among adolescent.
esteem of the adolescents. These findings
reflect the adolescent’s awareness on being
assertive and developing self-esteem and

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Vol.2; Issue: 4; October-December 2017
 Valliammal Shanmugam et al. Assertiveness and Self-Esteem in Indian Adolescents

Findings in fig.2 shows that 53.33% of the larger sample size and qualitative approach
adolescents had high self-esteem, 41.6% for depth understanding correlation between
had moderate level of self-esteem, 1.66 % the assertive behaviour and self-esteem
of them had respectively very high , very among adolescents. Despite these
low & low self-esteem. limitations, our study also has several
strengths such as creating awareness among
Table 1: Correlation between assertive behaviour and self- the adolescents and their relatives regarding
esteem N= 60
Spearman’s Rank Order correlation between assertive assertive behaviour and self-esteem.
behavior and self-esteem Further, it contains interesting findings from
Correlation coefficient (rs) 0.64 at p<0.005
developing countries perspective, which
will be of use to both researchers and
A significant positive correlation
clinicians.
(rs=0.64 at p<0.005) was found between the
In a nutshell, the findings of the
assertive behaviour and self-esteem of the
present study indicate that there is felt need
adolescents.
to improve the self-esteem and the
Table 2: Association between the assertive behaviour and self- assertiveness among adolescents through
esteem of adolescents with their selected socio demographic training programmes. Although this is a
variables N= 60
S.no Socio Chi square value small scale quantitative study, it provides
demographic Assertive Self Table the insights of the adolescent’s level of
variable behavior esteem value
1 Age 7.16* 0.74
assertiveness and their relation with self-
2 Gender 1.21 0.54 esteem.
3 Religion 1.04 0.65 3.84
4 Education of 2.46 1.63 (P <0.05
father level) Declaration of Interest
5 Education of 0.06 0.23 The authors report no conflicts of interest. The
mother
6 Occupation of 0.13 0
authors alone are responsible for the content and
father writing of this paper.
7 Occupation of 0.1 0.42 Author’s Contribution
mother
8 Monthly income 0.34 0.54
Data was collected by Primary author.
family All authors made a substantial contribution to
9 Type of family 1.08 0.31 conception and design of the study and were
10 Education level 6.13* 14.08*
11 Area of residence 0.41 0.01
involved in drafting and reviewing the
manuscript. All authors have read and approved
the final manuscript.
Significant association were found
between the assertive scores and the age & ACKNOWLEDGMENT
education level of the adolescents. The researchers would like to thank the
Education level of the adolescents was the participants and their family members for their
only variable significantly associated valuable contributions.
between the assertive and self-esteem
scores. Conflict of Interest: Nil
The present study also has certain Funding agency: Nil
limitations such as the study was restricted
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