The following ways in which a child may be treated most often lead to the development of low Self-esteem. Note: While this list is extensive, it does not include all the possible incidents or behavior that can lead to low self-esteem.

• Receiving an inordinate amount of criticism
• Being the target of verbal abuse: name-calling, disparaging remarks, sarcasm, or other inappropriate verbal responses
• Being ridiculed for our thoughts, perceptions, feelings, or performance of tasks
• Having our body or appearance ridiculed by our parents or other family members
• Being shamed as a child when alone or in front of others
• Having our feelings consistently ignored and discounted -
• Receiving punishment that is cruel or inappropriate according to conventional societal rules or inappropriate for one's age, such as spanking an older child, locking a child in a closet, grounding a child for months at a time, putting a small child in isolation for long periods of time, etc.
• Receiving punishment for what are considered normal mistakes for our age or level of development and understanding