The aim of the investigation was to examine the relationship between physical and psychological abuse and witnessing violence in the family, and self esteem, assertiveness and shyness. The investigation was carried out on a sample of 306 male and female 3rd year high school students in Zagreb. Using the method of extreme groups, the subjects were divided into those with abuse experience and those without, the difference between them being tested using the Mann-Whitney test.
The young men and women with childhood abuse experience rated significantly lower on self esteem than those without such experience. Young women with abuse experience rated significantly higher on shyness in relation to those who were not abused as children, while the male sample did not show any significant differences between the two groups. A significant difference in assertiveness was not confirmed between the observed groups. The results show that partialisation of the assertiveness effect did not result in relational changes of the observed variables, thus allowing the conclusion that assertiveness does not act as a mediator.
Keywords: abuse, shyness, assertivness, self esteem
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