Then we must figure out what we can do to prevent them from being formed and to eliminate them if they have been. Negative beliefs about ourselves, commonly referred to as low self-esteem, are created if we perceive our parents to be overly critical, busy and not available, not affectionate, or excessively controlling. Children usually interpret this type of parental behavior to mean there is something wrong with them. Imagine placing someone who has a very negative sense of himself in a school environment similar to the one in which Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold found themselves. I have no control over my life.
Life is dangerous.
People are mean and cruel. I can t protect myself. I don t fit in. I don t belong. Powerless, helpless, and out of control in other words, like a victim.