Recidivism is a persistent and universally pervasive phenomenon among both the young and adult offenders. Young offenders under probation (N= 123) and pre-tertiary school students (N=106) responded to the Responsibility and Self-Esteem Questionnaire (RSEQ) which tap attribution of responsibility and self-esteem. The author hypothesized that self-esteem consists of a sense of self-direction (personal control for change in matters pertaining to the self) and of self-explication (blaming others for failure) in addition to a sense of personal effectiveness (self-confidence) and a sense of personal worth (self-respect). Factor analyses of responses to the RSEQ supported the hypothesis. Also delinquent youth reported less self-direction than their peers, a perpetuating cycle of recidivism. Implications of the results for rehabilitative work with young offenders are discussed.

Key words: self-esteem model, adolescents