This article discusses the child who never manages to succeed, who always falls short of his/her personal or academic goals. Consideration is given to causes of failure in the child's over- or under-expectations of self and to the behavior problems that can result from continuous frustration. (SJL)

Since self-concept is an excellent predictor of academic success, the author argues that improvement of student self-image should be a primary goal of educators. He maintains that the successful student has a relatively high opinion of himself, while the underachiever who evinces various behavior problems suffers from a low self-opinion. The…

Examined concurrent and longitudinal relations among adolescents' problem behavior (PB), self-image, and peer relations. Analyses showed age increases correlated with disobedience, school misconduct, substance use, and peer involvement. Longitudinal increases in PB were associated with decreases in positive self-image and increases in peer…