The purpose of the present study is to increase knowledge in regards to the relationship between depression, self-esteem and perfectionism in children aged between 8 and 13 years with eating disorders (ED) symptoms. The sample includes 43 subjects from a group of 401 students from grade 3 to 6. Subjects have a score equal or above 20 on the Children's Version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT; 1988). Results from this study show that depression and self-esteem are factors present in this population but socially prescribed perfectionism is not related to ED in children. (C) 2009 Societe francaise de psychologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.