Risk and protective factors for urban African‐American youth

The present study investigated risk and resilience processes in a sample of urban African‐American youth. Risk and protective factors were assessed across ecological levels including individual, family and community. Both externalizing and internalizing symptomatology were included as measures of ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of community psychology Vol. 39; no. 1-2; pp. 21 - 35
Main Authors Li, Susan Tinsley, Nussbaum, Karin M., Richards, Maryse H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers 01.03.2007
Blackwell Science Ltd
Subjects
Adaptation, Psychological
Adjustment
Adolescent
African Americans
African Americans - psychology
African-American youth
Black American people
Chicago
Child
Children & youth
Family Relations
Female
Humans
Male
Poverty
Protective factors
Psychology, Social
Resilience
Risk and resilience
Risk Factors
Risk Reduction Behavior
Self Efficacy
Social psychology
Social Support
Surveys and Questionnaires
Urban areas
Violence
Young people
Chicago
Africa
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Summary:The present study investigated risk and resilience processes in a sample of urban African‐American youth. Risk and protective factors were assessed across ecological levels including individual, family and community. Both externalizing and internalizing symptomatology were included as measures of child adjustment. Youth and parental reports as well as various methods, such as the Experience Sampling Method, were used to capture the daily experiences of the adolescents from different perspectives. Poverty, hassles, and exposure to violence predicted higher rates of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Individual and family protective variables emerged as powerful sources of resilience. An inner sense of confidence and helpful family support were associated with reductions in the deleterious effects of community poverty. Two main patterns, protective‐stabilizing and overwhelming‐risk, seemed to characterize most of the risk by protective factor interactions. The present findings are important for understanding the complex experiences of urban youth and furthering the literature on sources of risk and protection for African‐Americans.
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ISSN:0091-0562
1573-2770
DOI:10.1007/s10464-007-9088-1