In a 15-year longitudinal study, a retrospective quasipanel design was chosen to detect developmental patterns related to the students' (N = 78) self-ratings. In 1999 (grade 9), the students who were rated as part of the risk group (n = 22) by using their kindergarten teachers' initial socio-emotional behaviour ratings that were done in 1989, were found to achieve significantly lower final school grades and to have higher perceptions of their own physical appearance but a higher sense of global self-worth. In 2005 (early adulthood), students in the risk group perceived themselves as less competent than their peers in social acceptance, global self-worth areas, strength perceptions related to learning skills and self-regulation. Path analyses showed that socio-emotional behaviour assessed at pre-school age had long-term effects on participants' self-perceptions and global self-worth. Possible explanations of the findings and implications for early identification are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)