Health, wealth and honesty: perceptions of self‐esteem in primary‐ aged children

This paper is based upon a small‐scale research project, which investigates the factors which primary‐aged schoolchildren perceive as causes of high and low self‐esteem. The findings indicate that schools may need to emphasise factors other than academic performance in order to raise pupils’ self‐esteem. The research was undertaken in a class of 32 year‐five children using the Draw and Write technique. The findings show that the children perceive multiple factors affecting their self‐esteem. Health issues, especially aspects of mental health, were considered very important factors in determining levels of self‐esteem. The research also showed that children are affected by the desire to improve their social status and consider this a way of increasing their self‐esteem. Affluence and the acquisition of material possessions were considered important avenues for increasing social status.