Defensive self-esteem and aggression in childhood

Research examining the association between self-esteem (SE) and aggressive behavior in childhood has produced mixed findings. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that researchers have relied on explicit measures of SE, thus conflating two distinct types of positive self-regard: secure SE (characterized by high levels of explicit and implicit SE), and defensive SE (characterized by high levels of explicit but low levels of implicit SE). The current study tested the hypothesis that children with high levels of defensive, but not secure, SE would engage in higher levels of aggressive behavior. Ninety-three children completed measures of both explicit and implicit SE. Teachers assessed children’s level of physical and relational aggression in the school setting. As predicted, there was a positive association between explicit SE and aggression when levels of implicit SE were low, but not when levels of implicit SE were high.