Prospective associations between trauma, placement disruption, and ethnic‐racial identity among newly emancipated foster youth

Abstract

Introduction: Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is an important developmental process for ethnic-racial minority youth. However, little is known about how adverse life experiences may be related to ERI development. Thus, the current study evaluated prospective associations of emancipated foster youth's histories of childhood maltreatment and foster placement disruption with ERI centrality and ERI private regard, as well as the adaptive implications of ERI. Method: Participants were 144 emancipated foster youth (69.4% female) from ethnic-racial minority backgrounds (27.8% Black, 32.6% Latinx, 39.6% multiracial) who participated in a longitudinal study of youth's adaptation to aging out of the US child welfare system. Youth reported on their childhood maltreatment severity and child welfare placement history at wave 1 (M age_w1 = 19.62, SD = 1.11), and on their ERI centrality, ERI private regard, and socioemotional adjustment (i.e., social support, self-esteem, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction) five years later (M age_w2 = 24.15). Results: Path analyses revealed that childhood maltreatment severity and placement disruption were associated with lower ERI private regard, but not ERI centrality. Moreover, private regard was associated with better socioemotional adjustment (i.e., higher levels of self-esteem and social support), whereas centrality was related to poorer adjustment (i.e., lower levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction, and higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms), and these relations varied by ethnicity-race. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that efforts to promote positive feelings toward one's ethnic-racial group membership can support ethnic-racial minority foster youth's capacity to negotiate developmental challenges in and beyond the child welfare system.

The ethnic identity complexity of transculturally placed foster youth in the Netherlands

“…They seemed to have become aware of their ethnic backgrounds because they daily faced confrontations with members of their foster families due to their ethnic differences, which could have lead to a segregation strategy of foster youth. Other studies show that ethnic identity losses are experienced by transculturally placed foster youth (Barn, 2010;Moss, 2009;Nuttgens, 2013;Tyrell et al, 2019). Tyrell et al (2019) found a relationship between ethnic loss and childhood maltreatment and placement disruption.…”

“…Other studies show that ethnic identity losses are experienced by transculturally placed foster youth (Barn, 2010;Moss, 2009;Nuttgens, 2013;Tyrell et al, 2019). Tyrell et al (2019) found a relationship between ethnic loss and childhood maltreatment and placement disruption. Barn (2010) referred to "identity stripping," whereby foster youth from different ethnic backgrounds were confused about the ethnic or racial group to which they belonged (i.e., marginalization).…”

“…The socialization messages that parents give to their children (whether directly or indirectly) regarding both the majority and minority ethnicity and culture (i.e., ethnic-cultural socialization) are important in the process of ethnic identity formation (Hughes et al, 2008;Lesane-Brown, 2006;Rivas-Drake, Umaña-Taylor, & Medina, 2017). This is also the case for transculturally placed ethnic minorities (Barn, 2010;DeBerry, Scarr, & Weinberg, 1996;Hrapczynski & Leslie, 2018;Moss, 2009;Nuttgens, 2013;Tyrell, Marcelo, Trang, & Yates, 2019;White et al, 2008).…”

“…Youth in foster care are vulnerable and face challenges in constructing their identity (Goemans et al, 2016;Kools, 1997;Mitchell, 2016Mitchell, , 2017, and when they have an ethnic minority background and are transculturally placed, this may include their ethnic identity. Having a strong ethnic identity is important for the psychosocial wellbeing of ethnic minority youth (Sam & Berry, 2010), and studies indicate that foster youth can experience ethnic identity losses but can also develop a strong ethnic identity (Barn, 2010;Mitchell Dove & Powers, 2018;Moss, 2009;Nuttgens, 2013;Tyrell et al, 2019;White et al, 2008). However, to the best of our knowledge, no scientific research has been conducted thus far about the ethnic identity of transculturally placed foster youth in the Netherlands.…”

Moral Dilemmas in Foster Care Due to Religious Differences Between Birth Parents, Foster Parents, and Foster Children

“…Secure identity formation is among the most critical tasks for young people during adolescence and is likely to result in healthier psychosocial development and smoother transitioning to adulthood (Arnett, 2015). For foster youth, developing a strong personal and social (including religious or ethnic) identity may be challenging, since their lives are often characterized by multiple vulnerabilities due to past trauma, neglect, or abuse (Tyrell et al, 2019). Studies on the ethnic identity of trans-ethnically placed foster children show ethnic identity losses for such children due to disconnection or interruption of their (primary) ethnic socialization network, which creates affronts to their psychological wellbeing (Degener et al, 2020).…”