Using 7 years of sequential data from the Family Health Study for 762 subjects aged 11 to 16 years in year 1, estimated a hierarchical growth curve model that emphasized the effects of age, life events, gender, and family cohesion on self-esteem. Results show a curvilinear relationship between age and self-esteem, suggesting that self-esteem is a dynamic, rather than static, construction in adolescence. (SLD)