Microaggressions, Injustices, and Racial Identity

Abstract

Inspired by the recent theory of African American offending and the lack of race-centered concepts in criminological literature, I aim to answer four general research questions: (a) Do criminal justice injustices impact African Americans differently than other forms of racism? (b) Do different emotional states increase African Americans' likelihood of offending? (c) Does having a positive racial identity buffer against the negative effects of racial discrimination? and (d) Do the effects of racial discrimination and racial identity vary between African American males and females? Using a subsample of African American youth and young adults from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods data, I find microaggressions and criminal justice injustices independently predict serious and violent offending. Anger and depression likewise serve as independent predictors, though anger suppresses the effects of depression when considered simultaneously. Racial identity also moderately buffers the negative effects of overall discrimination. The present analysis, however, finds no significant gender differences in the above processes. This study provides a firm empirical foundation for the theory of African American offending and other race-based approaches to understanding crime. Implications for future investigations are discussed.

The causes and consequences of stigma among individuals involved in the criminal legal system: A systematic review.

“…Although all of the studies examining racial/ethnic stigma were cross-sectional and thus cannot be used to infer causality, experiencing racial/ethnic stigma was associated with more risk-taking and criminal behaviors across several studies. This is consistent with the theory of African American offending (Isom, 2016; Unnever, 2014), which considers experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination as a significant source of strain that increases anger and depression as well as weakens social ties, which in turn contribute to criminal behavior. Interestingly, several studies also showed that racial/ethnic minorities were not as negatively impacted by criminal involvement stigma when compared to white individuals (Alarid & Vega, 2010; Crawford, White, et al, 2014; Harris, 1976; LeBel, 2012b; K.…”

“…CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINAL STIGMA consistent with the theory of African American offending (Isom, 2016;Unnever, 2014), which considers experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination as a significant source of strain that increases anger and depression as well as weakens social ties, which in turn contribute to criminal behavior. Interestingly, several studies also showed that racial/ethnic minorities were not as negatively impacted by criminal involvement stigma when compared to white individuals (Alarid & Vega, 2010;Crawford, White, et al, 2014;Harris, 1976;LeBel, 2012b;K.…”

The Adolescent Cultural, Racial, and Ethnic Support (ACRES) Model: A Conceptual Framework for Guiding Adolescent Students of Color in Their Cultural, Racial, and Ethnic Identity Development

“…Counseling and wellness support from school counselors also serves to normalize the feelings that arise surrounding new awareness and insight about race (Rivas-Drake et al, 2014). Through individual or group counseling, counselors can help students foster positive perceptions about their racial group that may buffer against mental health issues and other negative effects of racial discrimination (Choi et al, 2017; Isom, 2016). Building on Bryant-Davis and Moore-Lobban’s (2019) research into utilizing feminist theory for mental health counseling, school counselors can help adolescents of color make sense of their CREID journey by allowing students to explore how structural oppression and racial trauma have affected them.…”

Reviewing Racial Microaggressions Research: Documenting Targets’ Experiences, Harmful Sequelae, and Resistance Strategies

“…Evidence strongly suggests that racial microaggressions are associated with depressive symptoms (e.g., Ajayi & Syed, 2014;R. E. Anderson et al, 2015;Cheah et al, 2020;Isom, 2016;A. N. Miller & Orsillo, 2020;Ramirez & Paz Galupo, 2019).…”

“…Below, we focus on stress and anxiety, depressive symptoms, general psychological distress and well-being, and physiological functioning. Although beyond the scope of the current review, we acknowledge investigations that have linked racial microaggressions to career indecision and self-efficacy (Bonifacio et al, 2018;Gomez et al, 2011), externalizing behaviors (Dickerson et al, 2019;Isom, 2016;Lui, 2020;Pro et al, 2018;Su et al, 2020), and eating concerns (Le et al, 2020;Longmire-Avital & McQueen, 2019).…”