Who, what, and where? How racial composition and gender influence the association between racial discrimination and racial socialization messages

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the moderating roles of contextual racial composition (neighborhood, school, and job) and parent-adolescent gender dyads on the relation between familial racial discrimination experiences and parental racial socialization messages.

METHOD

The analytic sample included 565 Black parents (Mage = 44.7; 56% mothers, 44% fathers) who reported on their personal and adolescents' racial discrimination experiences and their communication of cultural socialization and preparation for bias messages.

RESULTS

Regression analyses in a structural equation modeling framework (path analyses) revealed that parents who personally experienced more racial discrimination or were in workplaces with more Black people communicated higher cultural socialization messages. They communicated high preparation for bias messages when reporting personal and adolescent racial discrimination. Racial discrimination experiences were positively related to preparation for bias messages among parents who worked in jobs with fewer Black people but were unrelated among parents working with more Black people. Multiple-group analyses indicated no gender differences in these associations.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrate that Black parents vary in their racial socialization messages based on their family's contexts and experiences. The findings highlight the importance of parents' work contexts for adolescent development and family processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Forms and frequency of vicarious racial discrimination and African American parents' health

BACKGROUND

African Americans often witness or learn about others' racial discrimination experiences (i.e., vicarious racial discrimination). Vicarious racial discrimination may contribute to adverse physical and psychological health outcomes for African Americans. We examined relations between four types of vicarious racial discrimination and depressive symptoms and self-rated health among African American parents.

METHODS

Path analyses were conducted to examine the linkage between each type of vicarious racial discrimination and both depressive symptoms and self-rated health. Chi-square difference tests were conducted to determine if the four forms of vicarious racial discrimination significantly differed in their relations to both depressive symptoms and self-rated health.

RESULTS

Witnessing or learning about their children's racial discrimination experiences was significantly related to higher parental depressive symptoms. Witnessing or learning about a racial discrimination experience of a stranger through the news or social media was significantly related to lower self-rated health.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the importance of examining the health implications of vicarious racial discrimination. Different types of vicarious racial discrimination experiences matter concerning depressive symptoms and self-rated health.

Parent socialization and anti-racist ideology development in White youth: Do peer and parenting contexts matter?

The development of anti-racist ideology in adolescence and emerging adulthood is informed by parent socialization, parenting style, and cross-race friendships. This study used longitudinal, multi-reporter survey data from White youth and their parents in Maryland to examine links between parents' racial attitudes when youth were in eleventh grade in 1996 (N = 453; 52% female; Mage  = 17.12) and the youths' anti-racist ideology (acknowledgment of anti-Black discrimination and support for affirmative action) 1 year after high school in 1998. This study also examined whether these associations varied based on authoritative parenting and the number of cross-race friendships. Positive parent racial attitudes toward racially and ethnically minoritized populations predicted higher anti-racist ideology in the independent contexts of more cross-race friendships and low authoritative parenting.

Perceptions of adolescents' racial discrimination experiences, racial identity, and depressive symptoms among Black American fathers

Objective

This study examined whether Black American fathers' perceptions of their adolescents' experiences of racial discrimination were related to fathers' depressive symptoms and if this association was moderated by fathers' racial identity beliefs and adolescent gender.

Background

Racial discrimination is not only an individual-level but also a family-level stressor for Black families. Racial discrimination experienced by parents can spillover to influence their children; however, fewer studies have examined how adolescents' discrimination experiences relate to parents' psychological outcomes, especially among Black fathers.

Method

Data were collected via online survey from 240 Black fathers (Mage = 45.93 years, SD = 8.72) of adolescents (Mage = 14.44 years, SD = 2.11) residing in the United States. Participants completed questions about their racial identity beliefs and depressive symptoms, as well as their adolescents' experiences with racial discrimination.

Results

Regression analyses revealed that adolescent-experienced racial discrimination was directly associated with fathers' depressive symptoms. Fathers whose race was more central to them (racial centrality) had higher depressive symptoms when their adolescents had high racial discrimination experiences. Also, fathers' beliefs about how Black people are viewed by society (public regard) moderated the relation between adolescent-experienced racial discrimination and fathers' depressive symptoms differently based on adolescent gender. Adolescent gender also moderated the relation between fathers' personal feelings about being Black (private regard) and their depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Overall, fathers' beliefs about their race, as well as the gender of their adolescents, play a role in their psychological health when their adolescents experience discrimination.

Working Harder than Others to Prove Yourself: High-Effort Coping as a Buffer between Teacher-Perpetrated Racial Discrimination and Mental Health among Black American Adolescents

High-effort coping (feeling like one must work harder than others to succeed due to anticipated discrimination) is an understudied concept in adolescence. The current study examined among Black American adolescents surveyed in eighth and 11^th grade (N = 630, 49% female) how high-effort coping moderated the relations between teacher-perpetrated racial discrimination and psychological distress across time, and whether the buffering role of high-effort coping varied by adolescent gender and socioeconomic status. Experiencing racial discrimination from teachers in eighth grade was positively related with depressive symptoms, anger, and suicidal ideation in 11^th grade. High-effort coping buffered against teacher discrimination for suicidal ideation among low socioeconomic status youth, as well as for anger among high socioeconomic status youth. Findings underscore the harmful influence of racial discrimination on Black American adolescents' mental health, as well as suggest that among certain subpopulations, high-effort coping may be one psychologically protective resource through which Black American youth retain positive feelings that are undermined by racial discrimination, and thus promote mental well-being.

Parenting despite discrimination: Does racial identity matter?

BACKGROUND

Previous research suggests that parents' characteristics and race-related experiences shape the racial socialization messages they give their children. Parents' beliefs about race may also relate to how they interpret and respond to race-related stressors. The current study drew on the Sociohistorical Integrative Model for the Study of Stress in Black Families to examine the moderating roles of gender and racial identity subscales (i.e., racial centrality, private regard, and public regard) on the relations between race-related stressors (i.e., personal, vicarious, and anticipated racial discrimination) and racial socialization.

METHOD

Path analyses were conducted in Mplus 8.2 using online survey data from a national sample of 567 African American parents of adolescents.

RESULTS

There were seven significant three-way interactions. Racial centrality and gender moderated the relations between both personal and vicarious racial discrimination and each racial socialization message. Private regard and gender moderated the relations between personal racial discrimination and preparation for bias and between vicarious racial discrimination and cultural socialization. Public regard and parent gender moderated the relation between personal racial discrimination and cultural socialization.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlighted that parents' experiences of personal, vicarious, and anticipated racial discrimination have different relations with their racial socialization messages. In addition, they highlighted that racial identity and parent gender are related to the type of racial socialization messages African American parents who are exposed to race-related stressors give their children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal Race-Related Stressors and African American Adolescents' Academic and Behavioral Outcomes

Objective

The purpose of the current study was to use the integrative model for the Study of Stress in Black American Families to test whether a set of maternal race-related stressors were related to adolescents' academic and behavioral outcomes through maternal depressive symptoms and involved-vigilant parenting. Gender differences in these relations were tested also.

Background

Research on race-related stressors has predominantly focused on the role of personal racial discrimination experiences on individual outcomes. Yet parents' vicarious and anticipated racial discrimination also may be related to parents' psychological functioning, family processes, and adolescent development.

Method

Path analyses were conducted in Mplus 8.2 using online survey data from a national sample of 317 African American mothers of adolescents to examine direct and indirect relations between maternal personal, vicarious, and anticipated racial discrimination, and adolescents' problem behaviors, grades, and academic persistence.

Results

Maternal personal racial discrimination experiences were positively related to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors directly and indirectly through maternal depressive symptoms and involved-vigilant parenting. Anticipated racial discrimination and vicarious racial discrimination were indirectly related to better adolescent outcomes through positive relations with maternal involved-vigilant parenting.

Conclusion

Maternal personal, vicarious, and anticipated racial discrimination act differently in relation to adolescent competencies in African American families.

The role of perceived thought control ability in the psychological functioning of Black American mothers

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent to which perceived thought control ability (PTCA) promotes the psychological functioning of Black American mothers, as well as moderates the negative effects of key stressors faced by this population, including discrimination experiences, financial strain, and parenting stress.

METHODS

An online survey was administered to 305 Black American mothers across the U.S. Participants completed measures of PTCA, psychological well-being (life satisfaction and emotional well-being), psychological distress (depressive and anxiety symptoms), and stressors (discrimination experiences, financial strain, and parenting stress).

RESULTS

Discrimination experiences, financial strain, and parenting stress were related to higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Financial strain and parenting stress were also related to lower life satisfaction and emotional well-being. PTCA protected against the link between discrimination experiences and depressive symptoms (β = -.15, p < .001), discrimination experiences and anxiety (β = -.15, p < .001), and parenting stress on anxiety (β = .08, p = .04). PTCA also was associated with higher life satisfaction (β =.19, p = .001) and emotional well-being (β =.42, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that PTCA is a culturally relevant and practical psychological resource for psychological functioning among Black American mothers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The Roles of Gender and Parenting in the relations between Racial Discrimination Experiences and Problem Behaviors among African American Adolescents

The goal of this study was to examine whether, in African American families with adolescents, the associations between adolescents' racial discrimination experiences and adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors differed based on involved-vigilant parenting and the genders of the parent and child. The sample included 567 African American parents of adolescents who completed an online survey on parenting, race-related stressors, and adolescent outcomes. Path analyses examining main effects and the interaction between adolescents' racial discrimination experiences, as reported by the parent, and involved-vigilant parenting were conducted in MPlus 8.2. Multigroup analyses by the gender pairing of the parent and target child were also conducted. Adolescent racial discrimination experiences were positively related to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Multigroup analyses indicated that high maternal involved-vigilant parenting buffered the association between girls' racial discrimination experiences and problem behaviors whereas high paternal involved-vigilant parenting buffered the association between boys' racial discrimination experiences and problem behaviors. Overall, the results indicated that when adolescents experienced high levels of racial discrimination, involved vigilant parenting was protective for problem behaviors when received from same gender parents. Involved-vigilant parenting was compensatory when received from cross-gender parents.

Dealing with discrimination: Parents' and adolescents' racial discrimination experiences and parenting in African American families

OBJECTIVES

Survey data of 155 Midwestern African American adolescents (M_age = 13.25, 54.8% female) and their parents were assessed to examine whether parents' racial discrimination experiences and adolescents' gender moderated the association between adolescents' racial discrimination experiences and involved-vigilant parenting.

METHODS

Path analyses were conducted with racial discrimination and gender at Wave 1 predicting parenting at Wave 2, controlling for Wave 1 parenting and demographic variables.

RESULTS

Boys with high levels of racial discrimination experiences and who had parents with low racial discrimination experiences had declines in involved-vigilant parenting. There were no significant differences in involved-vigilant parenting by level of racial discrimination experience among girls.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that parenting may depend on both parents' and adolescents' racial discrimination experiences and characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

African American adolescent substance use: The roles of racial discrimination and peer pressure

Peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol is one of the strongest predictors of adolescent substance use. In addition to this normative adolescent stressor, African American adolescents often also face race-related stress in the form of racial discrimination, which has been linked to maladaptive coping responses such as substance use. The interaction of these stressors may help explain substance using behaviors for African American adolescents. The present study explored the relationship between eighth-grade school-based racial discrimination experiences, peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol, and gender to predict 11th-grade marijuana and alcohol use (N = 610; 49% female). Logistic regression analyses indicated teacher- and peer-perpetrated racial discrimination experiences were related to higher alcohol use. Eighth-grade peer pressure to use drugs moderated the relations between teacher- and peer-perpetrated racial discrimination and 11th-grade marijuana use. Overall, results indicate that school-based racial discrimination increases risk for adolescent substance use, and peer pressure moderates this relation for multiple types of racial discrimination. No moderation by gender was found. The importance of considering race-related stress in conjunction with more general adolescent stress to understand African American adolescent substance use is discussed.

Academic Identity: A Longitudinal Investigation of African American Adolescents' cademic Persistence

Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of academic identification and academic persistence, particularly among African American adolescents. The present study investigated how cultural assets (i.e., private regard and racial centrality) and academic assets (i.e., academic curiosity and academic self-esteem) influence African American adolescent boys' (n = 109) and girls' (n = 153) academic persistence over time. Additionally, we explored whether oppositional academic identity mediated the relationships between academic and cultural assets and academic persistence. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional longitudinal study. Results indicated significant direct effects of academic assets on academic persistence at Times 1 and 2 for boys and at Times 1, 2, and 3 for girls. Furthermore, oppositional academic identity mediated the relationship between boys', but not girls', cultural assets and academic persistence at Time 1. These findings have implications for understanding the role of assets in the lives of African American youth.

African American adolescents' academic persistence: a strengths-based approach

African American adolescents are faced with the challenge to be successful academically, even though they may experience racial discrimination within school settings. Unfortunately, relatively little scholarship explores how African American adolescents draw on personal and cultural assets to persist and thrive in the face of discriminatory experiences. Additionally, little research has explored the buffering role of assets (e.g., racial pride, self-efficacy, and self-acceptance) on the relationship between school-based racial discriminatory experiences and the academic persistence of African American adolescents. Participants in the current study included 220 (58 % girls) socioeconomically diverse African American adolescents. Latent class analysis was utilized to identify clusters based on participants' racial pride, self-efficacy, and self-acceptance. Three cluster groups were identified. The majority of the students belonged to the average group in which adolescents reported average levels of the three study assets. Adolescents in the higher group reported higher assets relative to their peers in the study and those in the lower group reported lower strength-based assets relative to their peers. Results indicated that school-based racial discrimination was associated with lower levels of academic persistence. Additionally, adolescents in the higher assets group reported higher academic persistence in comparison to the average and low group. Our model reflected a promotive but not protective influence of adolescents' assets on their academic persistence.

Discrimination concerns and expectations as explanations for gendered socialization in African American families

Discrimination concerns and parental expectations were examined as mediators of the relations between gender and parenting practices among 796 African American mothers of 11- to 14-year-olds from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study. Mothers of sons had more concerns about racial discrimination impacting their adolescents' future, whereas mothers of daughters had more gender discrimination concerns. Racial discrimination concerns, but not gender discrimination concerns, were related to lower maternal academic and behavioral expectations. Maternal expectations were related to mothers' responsiveness, rule enforcement, monitoring, and parent-adolescent conflict. The relations between gender and parenting practices were partially explained through mothers' racial discrimination concerns and expectations. These findings demonstrate the importance of contextual factors on African American family processes.

"Feeling" hierarchy: the pathway from subjective social status to achievement

The current study tested a psychosocial mediation model of the association between subjective social status (SSS) and academic achievement for youth. The sample included 430 high school students from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Those who perceived themselves to be at higher social status levels had higher GPAs. As predicted by the model, most of the relationship was mediated by emotional distress and study skills and habits. The lower SSS students had more depressive symptoms, which led to less effective studying and lower GPA. The model held across different racial/ethnic groups, was tested against alternative models, and results remained stable controlling for objective socioeconomic status. Implications for identity-based intervention are discussed.

Do African American mothers really "love" their sons and "raise" their daughters?

This study assessed 1500 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth to test the hypothesis that African American mothers differentially socialize their girls and boys. The results showed that later-born boys had fewer chores, argued more with their mothers, lived in less cognitively stimulating homes, and were not allowed to make the same decisions as were the girls or firstborn boys at the same age. The later-born boys were also lowest in achievement and highest in externalizing behaviors. Parenting differences accounted for the achievement differences but not for the externalizing behavior differences. It was concluded that the later-born boys would achieve at the same rates as their siblings if they were socialized in the same manner as their siblings.

Marital transitions and changes in African American mothers' depressive symptoms: the buffering role of financial resources

The effects of changes in marital status on the changes in depressive symptoms of 443 African American mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY) were examined. Results showed that those mothers who exited marriage increased in depressive symptoms relative to continuously married and newly married mothers. Moreover, mothers who entered marriage later experienced the same level of depressive symptoms as continuously married mothers. However, financial resources moderated the effects of marital transitions. Those mothers with more financial resources did not experience an increase in depressive symptoms after divorce, but those with fewer resources experienced a large increase. It was concluded that divorce is a risk factor for mental health concerns among African American mothers, but financial resources serve as a protective factor.