Self-esteem may operate between relative age effects and later suicidal behaviour.

The relationship between self-esteem as measured by the Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory (Battle, 1981) and age at entering grade one is shown in the accompanying figure. Note that self-esteem shows a general rise with age for those within the correct age-for-grade range (ages 5-6, to 6-5). The highest self-esteem, however, was reported by the group made up in large part by children who were destined to be youngest in the class, but whose parents apparently delayed school entry by one year, causing them to be among the oldest (i.e. ages 6-6 to 6-8). Those that came from broken homes showed the same pattern, but at a uniformly lower level.