Among children of low-income families, meaningful, enduring relationships inside and outside the home play a significant role in enhancing self-esteem, according to a UAB study published recently in Psychology in the Schools. The study has important implications for the 22 percent of children in the United States who live in poverty. "These children are at highest risk for learning and behavior problems," says Kristi Guest, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist at UAB. "With higher self-esteem they are much more likely to do better in school and to achieve more, and they are less likely to abuse drugs." For this reason, Guest says, parents should encourage children to join social organizations, such as boys and girls clubs.

----University of Alabama at Birmingham

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