Effect of abuse on self-perception of rural Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white adolescents

The prevalence of adolescent abuse has serious community health ramifications because of its associated psychological responses. Theoretical frameworks have described behaviors arising from interpersonal interactions as being affected by self-concept. Therefore, the issue of assessing the self-concept is critical in research and practice for understanding the behavior of abused adolescents. This research arose from clinical practice in a rural Mexican-American and non-Hispanic White community. The practice focused on individual and group counseling for adolescents in abusive relationships. This study proposed to refine the theoretical basis for interventions related to self-concept and woman abuse for rural Mexican-American and non-Hispanic White adolescents.