Iraqi adolescents: Self-regard, self-derogation, and perceived threat in war

Abstract A year into the 2003 US–Iraq war, how were adolescents in Baghdad faring? Conflict-related events typically lower psychological well-being; in contrast, investment in and protection of threatened identities should lead to self-esteem striving and, presumably, better well-being. How threaten...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescence (London, England.) England.), 2008-02, Vol.31 (1), p.53-75
Main Authors: Carlton-Ford, Steve, Ender, Morten G, Tabatabai, Ahoo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Age Differences
Anxiety
Armed conflict
Attitude - ethnology
Biological and medical sciences
Conflict
Conflict (Psychology)
Correlation
Demography
Developmental psychology
Ethnicity
Female
Foreign Countries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender Differences
Humans
Iraq
Male
Mortality threats
Pediatrics
Perceived threat
Psychological Patterns
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Religious Factors
Self Concept
Self Esteem
Social Identification
Social Influences
Social Perception
Socioeconomic Background
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teenagers
Threats
Trauma
War
Warfare
Well Being
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Summary:Abstract A year into the 2003 US–Iraq war, how were adolescents in Baghdad faring? Conflict-related events typically lower psychological well-being; in contrast, investment in and protection of threatened identities should lead to self-esteem striving and, presumably, better well-being. How threatened do Iraqi adolescents feel? Is their self-esteem related to their sense of threat? Do age, religion, ethnicity, and gender alter the link between perceived threat and self-esteem? We use data from 1000 randomly selected adolescents living in Baghdad during July 2004. Iraqi adolescents reported high levels of threat; those feeling more threatened reported higher levels of self-esteem. Social background correlates with both self-esteem and perceived threat, but controlling for social background does not eliminate the relationship between self-esteem and perceived threat. We interpret our results in light of theory and research concerning social identity, mortality threats, and war trauma.
ISSN:0140-1971
1095-9254
DOI:10.1016/j.adolescence.2007.04.006