Private Regard, Identity Protection and Perceived Racism among African American Males

Abstract

Previous research has documented the negative effects of racism on the psychological health of African American males. However, consideration of racial identity as a potential buffer against racist experiences has received limited attention. This analysis investigates whether one dimension of the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity, private regard, reduces the effect of racism on internalizing symptoms in 107 African American late-adolescent males. Findings show that racist experiences were positively associated with greater anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results also indicated that private regard reduced the impact of racist experiences, but only for anxiety symptoms. Specifically, males with lower private who also experienced racism had greater anxiety as compared to those with higher private regard. The potential clinical benefits of private regard for African American males are discussed.

Social Inequality and Racial Discrimination: Risk Factors for Health Disparities in Children of Color

“…9,45,49,67-71 Compared with other groups, Asian youth report higher levels of personal racism from peers (eg, racial slurs and name calling, rejection, physical harm threats, and exclusion from peer activities). 67,70 Black girls are more likely than other girls to report exposure to racism, and black males and females experience steep increases in racial discrimination as they grow older, especially from adults in positions of authority such as police officers. [71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78] …”

“…10,11,61,70,79,80 Many become hypervigilant in an effort to detect racial discrimination and adjust their behavior to reduce the chance of racially aversive interactions. 80 Children of color aged 3 to 4 years are most likely to identify with members of dominant social groups and negative racial stereotypes.…”

“…[46][47][48][49]70,71,[92][93][94]97 Parental support of and sensitivity to their children decreases when they are stressed by their own racialdiscrimination experiences. 61,85 Parents' exposure to racial discrimination also decreases their likelihood of providing a warm and caring environment for their children 61 and increases irritable, explosive, and uninvolved parenting and harsh discipline.…”

“…120,121 Higher rates of depression are common among black youth who are exposed to racial discrimination. 44,46,69,70 In general, group differences in racial discrimination largely explain differences in psychological functioning between children of color and other groups. 75 Exposure to racial discrimination is also a risk factor for violence in male black children 6,122 and is associated with lower levels of moral reasoning and development, empathy, and perceptions of justice.…”

Ethnic Identity, Discrimination, and School Social Adjustment among Canadian Youth

“…For example, Greene et al (2006) found that a sense of pride and belonging in one's ethnic group protected ethnic minority youths' self-esteem from the negative impacts of ethnic discrimination. Similarly, Bynum, Best, Barnes, and Burton (2008) found that African American youth who experienced discrimination but reported higher levels of private regard were less likely to report anxiety symptoms. Rivas-Drake et al (2008) also found that higher levels of private regard protected African American youth from the exacerbating effects of discrimination on depressive symptoms, although this moderating effect was not observed among Chinese American students.…”