Empirical studies of stress and self-esteem of early adolescents are limited. The focus of this study was to identify stressors experienced by junior high school students (N=145) between the ages of 11 and 12 years, and to determine if there was a relationship between those stressors and the students' self-esteem. Students responded to the Youth Adaptation Rating Scale to identify stressors and to the Index of Self-Esteem. Eight stressors were reported by more than two-thirds of the students: taking finals or tests; going to junior high school; first day of school; arguments with peers/siblings; going to the dentist or doctor; pressure from parents to get good grades; fights with parents; and getting minor illnesses. The mean number of stressors identified by the students was 16.2 with a range of 3 (minimum) to 33 (maximum). A moderate though significant negative correlation between the number of stressors experienced and the adolescent's self-esteem was also found. Fifteen of the 55 stressors were significantly related to self-esteem issues, and 9 of the stressors were associated with gender. (Author/NB)