importance of having high self-esteem, far too many adolescent girls are allowed to fall through the cracks and suffer from the diminished senses of self at ever increasing ages.

Why do girls experience more pronounced problems with self-esteem than their male counterparts and what has caused this gender gap to emerge in a supposed society of equality?

Kennon M. Sheldon Ph.D of the University of Missouri-Columbia states

Building self-esteem starts from birth. The way parents treat a child, as well as the environment and their behavior around the child are decisive factors in determining how children will come to view themselves. A solid foundation of self-esteem stems from a sense of connectedness to others, balanced with a strong sense of self-separate from

All children need and desire strong gender role models, which for girls can be lacking. Children spend almost a third of their days in school and therefore schools

If young children are subjected to the same issues and difficulties, why then do girls experience more self-esteem related issues than boys? Some believe that it begins

are twice as likely to be seen as role models, five times as likely to receive the attention of the teacher and twelve times as likely to speak up in class. Academically talented girls are the ones who suffer the most through adolescence. Researcher Lois Murphy found that once girls began the process of "feminization" their IQ points and score on standardized academic tests began to drop. A girl's success is often attributed to good luck and hard work. When a girl fails it is attributed to a lack of ability and with every failure young girls' confidence levels become increasingly eroded. Particularly in the areas of math and science girls tend to exhibit self-handicapping behavior; they deliberately sabotage their own performance either due to fear of embarrassment and failure, or by playing into their own misconception that they are not good enough to succeed. When girls encounter academic difficulties, especially in math, they tend to think that they are stupid and give up. Girls are also often guilty of practicing self-monitoring, wherein they regulate their behavior to meet social demands or to create a desired social impression (Snyder, 1987). While this may be viewed as a positive aspect of behavior, it can cause girls to deny their true feelings and behave differently than they would without social demands. Peers become and increasing source of social support and this leads to an increase in anxiety of being rejected. Arising from this is often a conformity to peer values and behaviors, or peer pressure (Brown, 1989).

basic living standards, not only will she be deprived, but she may also come to view

of American college students. Participants were asked to identify most satisfying and

Girls, however, tend to play more often with one close friend or in a small group. Their play is less competitive, with the main focus being the formation of intimate social relationships. The "normal" struggle to create one's separate identity describes individualist males more than relationship oriented females (Gilligan, 1982,1990).

revitalized research on gender differences in America's school systems. This study marked the beginning of understanding of relationships in adolescence between self-image and career; differences in that relationship due to gender, and the impact of math and science. The study found that in elementary school sixty-seven percent of boys and sixty percent of girls were happy with who they were. Over the next eight years boy's appreciation of who they were declines to forty-six percent and girls to twenty-nine percent. Both males and females view changes in males during adolescence as positive; however girls view their own changes as negative. The study contradicts the thoughts that peer acceptance is the most pivotal determination of self-worth for adolescents. Respondents ranked "fitting in" socially behind academic confidence and feelings of importance within their families.

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Approximate Word count = 2657
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)