Juvenile’s Inter-Relationship and Adapting School Life : Focus on Moderating Effect of Self-Esteem
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Kim Hee Jin , Choi Jang Won , Lee Jee Hyun , Atterraya, Madhu Sudhan Atterraya, Madhu Sudhan 
Published: June 2018

This study was designed to examine juvenile interpersonal relations by the factors which affect juvenile school adapting matter. Then, it tried to understand the influence of juvenile interpersonal relationship on school adapting issue by dividing into 3 groups of their relationship pattern. 3 groups consist of their relationship with peers, teachers and parents. In addition to, it tried to verify the influence of self-esteem level on adapting to school life. This is an attempt to compare what types of relative effects the relationships with parents, peers and teachers have on school life adaptation, and to look for methods that can resolve school life adaptation issues arising from such relationship. According to precedent studies, self-esteem is an important variable that must be considered for the adaptation of youths. So, self-esteem was inserted as a moderator variable. This study was done based on the survey “research of juvenile friendship and school life”, which was conducted by National Youth Policy Institute in 2008. The data of this research is collected by self-report questionnaire survey, and analyzed the best answered 2,176 data among them. Essential outcome of the study is as follow. First, primary average of juvenile inter-relationship with peer group is 3.12 point, 2.96 with parents, and 2.22 with teachers. Second, it reveals that each of the relationship levels (peers, teachers and parents) gets rises, the level of adapting school life also gets rises. Third, juvenile self-esteem has meaningfully influenced on raising level of school adaptation. Statistically, there was no significant moderating effect of self-esteem between the level of relationship with peers, parents and level of adapting school lives. However, the moderating effect of self-esteem between the level of relationship with teachers and level of adapting school life proved that the level of relationship with teachers have positive effects on level of adapting to school life. This study presents practical suggestions for intervening in school adapting issue based on the results. First, to improve juvenile adapting to school life, it has to be preceded improving juvenile inter-relationship such as relationship between peers, teachers and parents. In case of youths who seem to have problems on the school life adaptation, the level of relationships among 3 types of relationship be examined first. Then, we have to find relationships that youths are comparatively vulnerable. In particular, for youths who are vulnerable in all 3 types of relationship, systematic analysis and evaluations, comprehensive counselling and interventions are essential for improving the level of relationships for youths. Second, to improve adapting to school life for juvenile, it is requested to proceed simultaneously, the intervention which is raising juvenile’s self-esteem improving their relationship with teacher. In other words, for youths who are having difficulties with school life adaptation due to a low level of relationships with teachers, interventions should be made to improve the relationship with teachers first. In addition, interventions should be made to improve self-esteem so that youths can make positive evaluations of one's personality, ability and value. The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapies and solution-focused therapies for increasing self-esteem is being reported, and there is a need to conduct appropriate programs and verify such programs' effectiveness. In addition, focused case managements for youths who are shown to have problems through investigations on self-esteem and personal relationships should be conducted. Among such students, treatment interventions should be applied to those who have school life maladjustment, and preventive interventions should be applied to those students who have yet to show maladjustment but have such elements within. The following are suggestions for follow-up studies that are required in