Aggression and Self Esteem Among Teenagers

Aggression may be defined as the energetic assault on animate or inanimate objects for a purpose. Aggression is always associated with harmful emotional state. The emotion which is called as anger is typically aroused by some provocation [1]. Johnson [2] quoted that aggressive behaviour was associated with destructive acts, sexual attack, prejudice, speech and genital activity. Aggression negatively affects student’s academic achievement, and performance, their emotional, mental as well as psychological wellbeing [3]. Wani et al. [4] divulge that boys show high level of aggression than girls. Akhtar & Kushwaha [5] also confirmed the boys are more aggressive than girls. Talukdar & Deka [6] also found that the male adolescents are significantly aggressive than female.


Introduction
Aggression may be defined as the energetic assault on animate or inanimate objects for a purpose. Aggression is always associated with harmful emotional state. The emotion which is called as anger is typically aroused by some provocation [1]. Johnson [2] quoted that aggressive behaviour was associated with destructive acts, sexual attack, prejudice, speech and genital activity. Aggression negatively affects student's academic achievement, and performance, their emotional, mental as well as psychological wellbeing [3]. Wani et al.
[4] divulge that boys show high level of aggression than girls. Akhtar & Kushwaha [5] also confirmed the boys are more aggressive than girls. Talukdar & Deka [6] also found that the male adolescents are significantly aggressive than female.
Self esteem is defined as individual's positive or negative evaluation of his/ her own personality. Self esteem is self awareness about one's own strength and weakness. It is self acknowledgment, self judgment, individual gratefulness and subjective respect of one's own. Self-esteem is the worthiness judgment related to the self concept [7]. Guindon [8] revealed that self esteem refers to the attitudinal and evaluative component of the self. It involves feelings of worth and acceptance which are developed as a result of the awareness of our competencies and feedback from the world around us. Emerging as common across most definitions of self-esteem is the component of self evaluation. Furnham & Cheng [9] found self esteem to be both a direct and a moderator variable for young people's self reported happiness. It is also associated with life satisfaction. Parmar [10] confirmed significant gender difference in self esteem. Wani et al. [11] revealed that boys have high level of self esteem than girls. Results also revealed that boys have high self-esteem than girls. Lower self esteem among girls has been attributed to several reasons including less favorable attitudes towards their gender roles and more concerns about appearance although boys seem to be showing increasing amounts of concern as well [12]. Self esteem across the life span Robins et al. [13] found that while self esteem levels were high in childhood, they dropped during adolescence and rose gradually throughout adulthood, once again declining in old age. This trajectory generally held true across gender, socio economic status, ethnicity and nationality. Adolescence therefore emerges as a time of reduction in self esteem.

i.
To find the level of aggression among boys and girls.
ii. To find the level of self esteem among boys and girls.

Hypotheses
i. H1 There would be significant mean difference found between aggression scores of boys and girls. ii.
H2 There would be significant mean difference found between self esteem scores of boys and girls.

Procedure
To achieve the purpose of present study a total sample of 70 students (N=70) between the age group of 15-19 years were randomly selected from various departments in Annamalai University. The subjects are divided into two equal groups, boys (n=35) and girls (n=35). For the assessment of aggression and self esteem aggression questionnaire developed by Buss Perry (1992) and Rosenberg self esteem questionnaire were used. Before administering the scales proper rapport was established with participants and they were asked about the purpose of the study, after their willingness questionnaires were distributed among them. After 15-20 minutes participants hand over the filled questionnaires. Therefore data was collected in appropriate manner, after that collected data was analysis through Mean and Standard Deviation, and t-test.

Discussion
The results of present study demonstrated that boys are more aggressive than girls. Simultaneously boys have also high level of self esteem than girls respectively. The Mean, S.D, SEM, and t-value of aggression scores among boys and girls were found [boys, (M= 26.28, S.D= 5.32, SEM= 0.90), girls (M= 24.17, S.D=1.82, SEM=0.30)], and t-value (2.22) were found more than tabulation value at 0.05 level, which reveals that there is significant mean difference between the aggression scores of boys and girls. Therefore the first hypothesis is accepted. These findings are supported by the research by Wani [19], It is also divulge there is significant mean difference between the self esteem scores of boys and girls, because obtained t-value (3.45) was found significant at 0.01 level. Mean, S.D, SEM, of boys and girls were found [boys, (M= 14.20, S.D= 2.48, SEM= 0.41), girls (M= 12.62, S.D=1.03, SEM=0.17)] Therefore the second hypothesis is also accepted. Same findings are reported by Wani et al. [11], and Parmar [20] respectively.

Conclusion
On the basis of the findings of the present study we may conclude boys are more aggressive as all as self esteemed than girls. Also gender is an influential variable in aggression and self esteem respectively.