The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the self-esteem of junior high and high school students. The independent variables investigated were quality of family life, birth order, family size, maternal employment, grade level and family structure. The dependent variables were the self-esteem scores from the following sub-scales of the Texas Social Behavior Inventory: Confidence, Dominance, Social Competence and Total. The sample consisted of 166 junior high and high school students. Six composite null hypotheses were tested with three-way analysis of variance. The results of the study appeared to support the following generalizations: (1) students from happy quality of family life have higher self-esteem (Confidence, Total, and Dominance) than those from unhappy quality of family life; (2) students of first birth order have higher self-esteem (Dominance) than those of middle birth order; (3) students from family structure of mother and step-father have higher self-esteem (Social Competence and Total) than those from family structure of two biological parents; (4) quality of family life, birth order and family size should be interpreted concurrently for Social Competence, (5) no associations between maternal employment and self-esteem; and (6) no associations between maternal employment and self-esteem, and grade level and self-esteem. Extensive appendixes include all materials used in the study. Contains 33 references. (JBJ)