Gang-Related Attitudes and Affiliations Among African American Youth: An Ecological Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 717-730
Author(s):  
Adia S. Gooden ◽  
Susan D. McMahon ◽  
Yan Li
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Disadvantaged Community ◽  
Gang Involvement ◽  
Societal Problems

An array of individual and ecological factors promotes and detracts from gang involvement. Using a transactional-ecological framework, we test a theoretical model in which ecological and individual factors influence gang-related attitudes and affiliations. African American adolescents (N = 174), in 5th–8th grades, from two schools in a disadvantaged community, participated. Path analysis demonstrated the proposed model produced good fit with the data. Significant pathways suggest poverty is associated with less parental support, exposure to violence is associated with more gang-related attitudes and affiliations, and religiosity is associated with fewer gang-related attitudes and affiliations. These findings illustrate the importance of models including ecological and individual factors related to gang involvement and suggest ways to reduce societal problems associated with gangs.

“Broken windows”: Relationship between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among low-income African American adolescents

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dexter R Voisin ◽  
Dong Ha Kim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
African American ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Broken Windows ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions

This study explored the association between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among African American youth. Cross-sectional data were collected from 683 African American youth from low-income communities. Measures for demographics, neighborhood conditions (i.e. broken windows index), mental health, delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors were assessed. Major findings indicated that participants who reported poorer neighborhood conditions compared to those who lived in better living conditions were more likely to report higher rates of mental health problems, delinquency, substance use, and unsafe sexual behaviors. Environmental factors need to be considered when addressing the behavioral health of low-income African American youth.

Exploring Psychosocial Task Resolution and Self-Concept among African-American Adolescents

1996 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 803-810
Author(s):  
Craig C. Brookins
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Family Relations ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Developmental Task ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Highly Correlated

Developmental task resolution and self-concept of adolescents were examined for a sample of 110 African-American youth. The Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory was used to measure Erikson's stages of psychological development and the Bronstein-Cruz Child/Adolescent Self-concept and Adjustment Scale was used to measure multiple components of the self-concept. Scores for Self-concept and Resolution of Identity stages were highly correlated although scores on Resolution of Identity, commonly seen as the primary psychosocial task of adolescence, were not related to scores on either Emotional Well-being or Family Relations. The results are discussed in terms of improving understanding of relationships between processes in development, identity, and other salient psychosocial variables.

The Moderating Effects of Culture on Peer Deviance and Alcohol Use among High-Risk African-American Adolescents

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashir Nasim ◽  
Faye Z. Belgrave ◽  
Robert J. Jagers ◽  
Karen D. Wilson ◽  
Kristal Owens
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Heavy Alcohol ◽  
Cultural Variables

African-American adolescents have lower rates of alcohol consumption than White youth. However, African-American youth suffer disproportionately more adverse social, mental, and physical health outcomes related to alcohol use. Affiliating with negative peers is a risk factor for alcohol initiation and consumption. Cultural variables have shown moderating effects against other risk factors for African-American youth and therefore were the focus of this study. Specifically, we tested whether three culturally-relevant variables, Africentric beliefs, religiosity, and ethnic identity were promotive or protective for alcohol initiation and use within the context of negative peer affiliations. The sample consisted of 114 at-risk African-American adolescents whose ages ranged from 13 to 20. Participants were administered a questionnaire with measures of alcohol initiation and use, peer risk behaviors, ethnic identity, Africentric beliefs, religiosity, and demographic items. Peer risk behaviors accounted for significant percentages of the variance in age of alcohol initiation, lifetime use, and current and heavy alcohol use after adjusting for age and gender. Cultural variables showed both promotive and protective effects. Africentric beliefs were promotive of delayed alcohol initiation, whereas both Africentrism and religiosity moderated peer risk behaviors effect on alcohol initiation. Africentric beliefs were also inversely related to lifetime alcohol use revealing a promotive effect. Moreover, there were significant protective effects of ethnic identity and religiosity on heavy alcohol consumption. One implication of these findings is that prevention programs that infuse cultural values and practices such as Africentrism, ethnic identity, and religiosity may delay alcohol initiation and reduce use especially for youth with high risk peers.

scholarly journals “You’ve Gotta be Careful”: Familial Messages Regarding Sexual Behavior and Sexual Relationships among African American Adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1146
Author(s):  
Gary Harper ◽  
Darnell Motley ◽  
April Timmons Tyler ◽  
Donald Tyler ◽  
Joseph Catania ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
African American ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Family Members ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Sexual Decision Making

Background: Research on the sexual behaviors of African American youth has primarily focused on associated risks, with a dearth of studies examining a fuller representation of African American adolescents’ sexual lives. This study explored the range of messages African American adolescents receive from family members regarding sexual behavior and sexual relationships. Methods: Participants were 52 sexually experienced African American youth (male = 32, female = 20) between the ages of 15 and 17 recruited from community-based organizations in the United States. Youth participated in individual in-depth qualitative interviews, and data were analyzed using a phenomenological framework. Results: Participants received a variety of messages about sexual behavior and sexual relationships from a range of family members including parents, siblings, grandmothers, aunts/uncles, and cousins. Types of messages clustered into three domains: sexual decision-making, quantity and quality of sexual activity, and sexual health promotion; with themes and sub-themes emerging within each area. Conclusion: Gender differences in the types of messages received are explored, and applications of the findings to the development of family-involved community interventions that promote sexual and reproductive health are discussed.

scholarly journals Parental Support, Mental Health, and Alcohol and Marijuana Use in National and High-Risk African-American Adolescent Samples

2015 ◽  
Vol 9s1 ◽  
pp. SART.S22441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Maslowsky ◽  
John Schulenberg ◽  
Lisa M. Chiodo ◽  
John H. Hannigan ◽  
Mark K. Greenwald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
African American ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
African American Adolescent ◽  
Protective Processes

African-American adolescents experience disproportionate rates of negative consequences of substance use despite using substances at average or below-average rates. Due to underrepresentation of African-American adolescents in etiological literature, risk and protective processes associated with their substance use require further study. This study examines the role of parental support in adolescents’ conduct problems (CPs), depressive symptoms (DSs), and alcohol and marijuana use in a national sample and a high-risk sample of African-American adolescents. In both samples, parental support was inversely related to adolescent CPs, DSs, and alcohol and marijuana use. CPs, but not DSs, partially mediated the relation of parental support to substance use. Results were consistent across the national and high-risk samples, suggesting that the protective effect of parental support applies to African-American adolescents from a range of demographic backgrounds.

Feeling Safe in a Dangerous Place: Exploring the Neighborhood Safety Perceptions of Low-Income African American Youth

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Zuberi
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Neighborhood Safety ◽  
Safety Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Safety ◽  
Perceived Danger

Research shows that neighborhood safety is strongly associated with the health and well-being of adolescents. However, few studies examine what shapes these perceptions of safety, especially for adolescents who grow up in more dangerous neighborhoods. The present study explores what factors shape the neighborhood safety perceptions of a sample of low-income, African American adolescents aged 15 to 19 years ( n = 46) from Baltimore who lived in public housing as children. The study reveals the complexity in how adolescents perceive safety, especially among those living in dangerous neighborhoods. The results highlight the importance of the type of danger (e.g., drug activity vs. gun-related violence) and social connections in shaping neighborhood safety perceptions. Sample youth are more likely to report feeling safe when there is little perceived danger. In more dangerous neighborhoods, youth feel safe where there is low violence, they have protective social ties, and they can avoid perceived danger. However, social connections can also tie youth to violence and victimization, which threatens their perception of safety. This more nuanced understanding of youth perceptions of safety has implications for the ways in which neighborhoods affect adolescents and the role of housing policy in improving the well-being of low-income youth.

Youth Audience Segmentation Strategies for Smoking-Prevention Mass Media Campaigns Based on Message Appeal

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian S. Flynn ◽  
John K. Worden ◽  
Janice Yanushka Bunn ◽  
Anne L. Dorwaldt ◽  
Scott W. Connolly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Audience Segmentation ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Prevention Messages ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Media Interventions

Mass media interventions are among the strategies recommended for youth cigarette smoking prevention, but little is known about optimal methods for reaching diverse youth audiences. Grades 4 through 12 samples of youth from four states ( n = 1,230) rated smoking-prevention messages in classroom settings. Similar proportions of African American, Hispanic, and White youth participated. Impact of audience characteristics on message appeal ratings was assessed to provide guidance for audience segmentation strategies. Age had a strong effect on individual message appeal. The effect of gender also was significant. Message ratings were similar among the younger racial/ethnic groups, but differences were found for older African American youth. Lower academic achievement was associated with lower appeal scores for some messages. Age should be a primary consideration in developing and delivering smoking-prevention messages to youth audiences. The unique needs of boys and girls and older African American adolescents should also be considered.

The Protective Role of Religious Involvement in African American and Caribbean Black Adolescents’ Experiences of Racial Discrimination

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 659-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheretta T. Butler-Barnes ◽  
Pamela P. Martin ◽  
Nikeea Copeland-Linder ◽  
Eleanor K. Seaton ◽  
Niki Matusko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Racial Discrimination ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Black Adolescents ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Psychological Outcomes ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Caribbean Black

For many Black adolescents, racial discrimination increases the risk of developing adverse psychological outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interrelationships among religious involvement, racial discrimination, and psychological outcomes among a nationally representative sample of African American adolescents and Caribbean Black adolescents from the National Survey of American Life. Multiple regression models were used to determine the interactive effects of religious involvement and racial discrimination experiences on Black adolescents’ psychological outcomes. Findings indicate that religious involvement was a protective factor for Caribbean Black adolescents but not African American youth. The implications of these findings underscore the varied roles of religious involvement for African American and Caribbean Black adolescents.

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