This was compared with the risk of a disturbed self image, as assessed on the basis of Offer's (1981) questionnaire. Of the sample, 24.2 percent showed a disturbed self image that was significantly associated with a reported excess of events and with the reporting of specific classes of events. These events included serious disagreements between parents, sudden decrease in family income, serious abuse either within the family or outside the family, and the experience of an abortion. The events were ranked and sorted by the observed values of their sample frequency, subjective importance, and assessed risk of a disturbed self-image. The rarest and subjectively most important events were often associated with a higher risk of disturbed self image. The role of reporting such "exceptional" experiences is discussed. 3 tables, 29 references. (Author abstract modified)