Buffering Effects of Racial Discrimination on School Engagement: The Role of Culturally Responsive Teachers and Caring School Police

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Urban black adolescents' wellbeing in the early high school years can be negatively impacted by exposure to racial discrimination. These impacts may be buffered by supportive relationships with adults at school. We considered both the protective and promotive effects of culturally responsive teachers and caring school police on school engagement for students exposed to racial discrimination across settings. METHOD:This study leveraged baseline student report from a sample of urban, predominantly black high school students with elevated teacher-rated levels of aggressive behavior (N = 397 9th graders; 91.2% black; 50.4% male; J = 10 schools). Using a path model with full-information maximum likelihood estimation, we examined the associations of racial discrimination, teacher cultural responsiveness, and school police caring in relation to school engagement and school disconnection, adjusting for covariates, including family racial socialization. RESULTS:Frequency of racial discrimination was significantly associated with lower school engagement and greater school disconnection. Teacher cultural responsiveness was significantly, favorably associated with all outcomes. Police caring had no significant direct associations; however, there were moderation effects. When police caring was below average, increased racial discrimination was associated with significantly poorer attitudes toward school. CONCLUSIONS:Findings suggested that students' perceptions of school police caring may buffer links between racial discrimination experiences and school disconnection. Moreover, students who perceive that their teachers are culturally responsive may feel more engaged at school. Interventions to promote teachers' and school police officers' cultural responsiveness and caring may improve engagement among at-risk urban youth who experience racial discrimination.

Coping Power in the City: Promoting Coping in African American Male Students

“…Moreover, an increasing and disproportionate number of African American males experience school failure during this transitional school year and are at risk for entering the school-to-prison pipeline (Blad & Harwin, 2017). Another gap in the research is the lack of models focused on school-based police and their impact on youth (Bottiani et al, 2020; Flannery et al, 2019; James & McCallion, 2013).…”

“…The third training was a 6-hr workshop comprising didactic, experiential, and youth-integrated activities to promote officer’s responsiveness and sensitivity to urban adolescent development and encourage positive student–police relationships. As part of this experience, officers were challenged on their attitudes, knowledge, and responses to cultural and contextual factors impacting urban youth, specifically the effects of racial stress (see Bottiani et al, 2020).…”

Every School Healthy: Policy, Research, and Action

“…Sprague Martinez et al 9 explore how schools and community partners can create the opportunities for authentic, ongoing work by young people—not only to participate, but also to lead. Moreover, as discussed below, Bottiani and Henderson 10 explore how young people in one urban area relate to and influence adults within their schools.…”

“…Bottiani and Henderson 10 illustrate the importance and influence of young people’s perspectives on adults. The role of supportive relationships with key adults in the school building, particularly those relationships that offer cultural responsiveness and caring, is highlighted.…”

“…Their findings about how these relationships can buffer students of color from the impacts of structural racism offer important considerations for policymakers and school leaders. 10 …”