Racial Respect and Racial Socialization as Protective Factors for African American Male Youth

Abstract

African American adolescents must negotiate the transition to adulthood in a society that makes the achievement of positive cultural identity and self-respect difficult. Frequently, young men turn to violence in an attempt to achieve respect in their communities. This article explores factors that predict the use of violence among African American male youth. Adolescents from 14 through 18 years of age who completed a written survey in group settings in Oregon included 100 youth who were detained in the juvenile justice system and 100 who were members of a community youth development program. A history of witnessing violence strongly predicted the intensity of violent behavior of study youth; however, endorsing positive attitudes toward racial respect significantly moderated the effects of chronic exposure to violence. Additionally, racial socialization was negatively correlated to violence intensity and was marginally significant in moderating the effects of witnessing violence. Implications for practice with male African American youth are highlighted.

Reciprocal Love

“…We can talk when we need to talk, and we, we gain a whole lot of respect. (Interview, June 13, 2011) Respect is generally understood as a fundamental element of relationships among Black and Latino men (DeGruy, Kjellstrand, Briggs, & Brennan, 2012;Halx & Ortiz, 2011). Johnny and his UMOJA brothers shared their feelings with each other without feeling emasculated.…”

The Impact of Culture‐Based Protective Factors on Reducing Rates of Violence among African American Adolescent and Young Adult Males

“…Research has demonstrated the value of a strong sense of racial identification, racial pride, communalism, and spirituality for enhancing well‐being among African Americans. For instance, a large body of research on racial identity (the degree to which one incorporates his/her race into self‐definitions) has shown that African American adolescents and young adults who are higher in racial identification have higher self‐esteem (Rowley, Sellers, Chavous, & Smith, ), perform better in school (Chavous, Rivas‐Drake, Smalls, Griffin, & Cogburn, ), employ more adaptive mechanisms for coping with discrimination (Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelck‐Cone, & Zimmerman, ), and are less likely to engage in violence (Caldwell et al., ; DeGruy, Kjellstrand, Briggs, & Brennan, ).…”

“You Never Know Who's Looking at Your Page!”: African American Male Adolescents’ Perceptions of Emotional Display Rules Online

“…For example, African American males are subjected to disproportionate disciplinary action in schools, and higher rates of arrest, conviction, and incarceration, as well as harsher sentences than experienced by other groups of people (e.g., White males, females; Gordon, Piana, & Keleher, 2000;Hammond, 2012;Skiba et al, 2011). The stress of such realities can be harmful to Black men's emotional well-being (Borders & Liang, 2011), but emotional skills (e.g., regulation and understanding) can buffer the negative impacts of this adversity, as can racial socialization (DeGruy, Kjellstrand, Briggs, & Brennan, 2012;Dunbar, Leerkes, Coard, Supple, & Calkins, 2016).…”