To show esteem to a person is to regard them with respect and consideration. Similarly, healthy self-esteem is to perceive oneself with respect and a sense of dignity. According to Branden (1993), self-esteem is of utmost importance in the development of the human being, since it turns out to be the key to success or failure.
Promoting self-esteem in a person is carrying out any action that helps them improve and optimize their self-concept. This aspect begins with the acceptance of our potential and limitations. Self-esteem not only depends on the individual himself, but also on his surrounding context; if this is respectful and healthy, it will promote an adequate construction of their self-concept.
Is talking about self-esteem and self-concept the same thing?
They are usually used interchangeably, and although they are related, they are not synonymous. Self-concept is related to the cognitive dimension, while self-esteem is related to the evaluative and affective dimension. In other words, self-concept is the image of oneself that the person develops and that conditions their behavior and experiences. And self-esteem is the attitude towards oneself, which involves the acceptance of one's abilities and difficulties.
How is self-esteem formed?
A child does not have a repertoire of previous experience that serves to assess their reactions, but rather acquires it through trial and error, for this reason the environment that surrounds them is crucial, because it will be the one that communicates to the child the value of their behaviors and who they are as a person. Self-esteem begins to develop during the first years of life within the family context, and specifically in the father-child bond. When the child is born, he does not know how to differentiate himself from his parents, he thinks of himself as a continuum, and little by little he builds himself separate from others based on the treatment he receives, the words, the tone of voice, the looks, the caresses, the responses he receives to his demands..., and as he grows, he obtains influences from other environments beyond the family, which reinforce the perception of value that has been created within the family. Therefore, self-esteem is not innate or stable, it is built, defined and transformed throughout development by the influence of the world around them, and as a result of experiences of success and failure. With healthy self-esteem, the child will have the resources to face failures and disappointments, but if this decreases, they will not face them adequately, even if they are successful.
What happens to the self-image of a disabled child?
In these cases, something similar happens but with certain nuances. The difference lies in the difficulties of their context when defining the child, that is, in the eyes of the environment. The way this environment perceives them, and how they act with the child in these situations. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that the environment defines this child beyond their disability, without forgetting it, but without making it evident in their day-to-day lives. Self-esteem, therefore, is formed through what they receive from their environment , which is why it is important to work on accepting the presence of the disability.
How to boost positive self-esteem?
Develop the potentialities of the child because the mere fact of living with a disability does not make them a "non-abled" person, and this must always be kept in mind and valued in the child.
Words and language It is also very valuable to differentiate and not talk about the "disabled child".
– Find the right moment to resolve any doubts that the person may have regarding their disability. It is very useful to use cartoons and stories that facilitate understanding. This gives the person a good understanding of their difficulties, but also of their virtues for resolving conflicts.
– Be careful about the information that is revealed about the child's disability to third parties, both those in the immediate environment and external agents (professionals, neighbors, teachers, etc.). The information must be adapted to the recipient, the context and the objective of this communication. This information is part of their privacy and care must be taken in the treatment and use that is made. It is appropriate to have their consent and/or inform them beforehand.
As the child grows into adolescence , peers play a very important role in the formation of self-esteem. The adolescent observes, compares himself and gives importance to the speech of his peers. If the family environment during childhood has given him the appropriate tools for the development of his self-concept, this child who is now an adolescent will have strategies and resources to be able to value constructive opinions, and manage destructive judgments in an assertive way.
How is the Aspace Catalunya Foundation approached?
The Aspace Catalunya Foundation offers several therapeutic groups, one of which aims to provide a safe space to address the doubts and insecurities that arise in the pre-adolescent and adolescent stages. This is a small group made up of boys between 12 and 16 years old , diagnosed with borderline intellectual capacity or mild intellectual disability, and who are in secondary school in ordinary schools . The group aims to understand and accept the disability, and work on and manage emotions . In addition, group cohesion and a space of trust are created, which invites them to share their day-to-day situations with others with a similar condition, being very positive for strengthening security and self-esteem in these complex stages.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Branden, N. (1993). The power of self-esteem. How to enhance this important psychological resource. Barcelona: Paidós.
- Gómez Díaz, M. and Jiménez García, M. (2018). Emotional intelligence, resilience and self-esteem in people with and without physical disabilities. Global Nursing, 17(50), 263-283. https://dx.doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.17.2.291381
- Pérez, JI and Garaigordobil, M. (2007). Physical disability: Self-concept, self-esteem and psychopathological symptoms, Studies in Psychology, 28(3), 343-357, DOI: 10.1174/021093907782506434
- Roa García, A. (2013). Emotional education, self-concept, self-esteem and its importance in childhood. Edetany, (44), 241-257. https://riucv.ucv.es/handle/20.500.12466/678
