How does relative deprivation relate to aggression in young male migrant workers? The mediator of self-esteem

The current study aimed to explore the relationship among relative deprivation, self-esteem, and aggression in young male migrant workers, focusing especially on the mediating effect of self-esteem between relative deprivation and aggression. A total of 232 young male migrant workers (n = 214 valid samples; average age, 23.98 years) were recruited in Sichuan, China. The participants were assessed using the relative deprivation scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and Buss & Perry aggression scale. The data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics, variance analysis, correlation analyses, and structural equation model analysis. There were significant differences in relative deprivation, self-esteem, and aggression in subjects with different marital status and educational background. Relative deprivation was significantly correlated with self-esteem (r = -0.37, p < 0.01) and all dimensions of aggression (r = 0.56-0.64, p < 0.01). Both structural equation modeling and bootstrap test demonstrated that self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between relative deprivation and aggression. The 95% confidence intervals of the indirect effect were 0.10-0.19. In conclusion, both relative deprivation and self-esteem were related to aggression in young male migrant workers, and self-esteem partially mediated the effect of relative deprivation on aggression.