School-based racial microaggressions: A barrier to resilience among African American adolescents exposed to trauma.

OBJECTIVE: African American adolescents experience disproportionate rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which heightens their risk for negative social, behavioral, and health outcomes. Schools may be a source of support for adolescents exposed to ACEs; however, for many African American adolescents, schools are a source of additional stress due to experiences of racial/ethnic microaggressions. The current study examined the relationship between ACEs, school-based racial/ethnic microaggressions, and resilience after violence exposure in African American adolescents. METHOD: Participants included 189 African American adolescents with an average age of 15.15 (SD = 1.27, range = 13-18). Fifty-one percent identified as female. Participants reported an average ACE score of 5.81 (SD = 3.63). Moderation analyses were conducted using the three subscales of the School-based Racial and Ethnic Microaggression Scale (academic inferiority, expectations of aggression, and stereotypical misrepresentations; Keels et al., 2017). RESULTS: ACEs were negatively related to resilience after violence exposure in all three microaggression models. The microaggressions subscales academic inferiority (b = -.05, t(183) = -2.05, p = .04) and stereotypical misrepresentations (b = -.08, t(183) = -2.04, p = .04) significantly moderated the relationship between ACEs and resilience after violence exposure, such that the inverse relationship between these two variables was stronger at higher levels of endorsed microaggressive experiences measured with these two subscales. The moderation model was not significant for the expectations of aggression subscale. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that school-based racial/ethnic microaggressions negatively impact resilience after violence exposure among African American adolescents exposed to multiple ACEs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Building a Contextually-Relevant Understanding of Resilience among African American Youth Exposed to Community Violence.

Studies consistently demonstrate that African American youth experience disproportionate levels of community violence, which is associated with negative health and well-being outcomes among these youth. The frequency and severity of community violence exposure is a unique challenge for these youth and requires tailored approaches to promote resilience after community violence exposure. However, limited research exists that operationalizes resilience after community violence based on the unique context and lived experience of African American youth. Developing a more contextually relevant understanding of resilience is critical to reducing health inequities experienced by African American youth and promoting their well-being. Five focus groups were conducted with 39 African American adolescents (ages 13-18) exposed to community violence. Participants also completed a brief survey that included questions on demographics, adverse childhood experiences, social capital, and resilience. Focus-group transcripts were independently coded by two members of the research team and analyzed using an inductive approach. Youth highlighted key indicators of resilience including the ability to persevere, self-regulate, and change to adapt/improve. Youth also described family, peer, and cultural contexts that impact how resilience is produced and manifested, highlighting trust, perceived burdensomeness, self-determination, connectedness, and mental health stigma as key factors within these contexts. Results of this qualitative study support the development of health promotion programs for African American youth exposed to community violence that address unique risks and build on existing protective factors within family, peer, and cultural contexts.

Mitigating Negative Consequences Of Community Violence Exposure: Perspectives From African American Youth.

The burden of community violence on young African Americans includes disproportionate rates of physical and mental health consequences. To develop appropriate and sustainable interventions that mitigate the negative consequences after violence exposure, it is critical to incorporate the lived experiences and perspectives of African American youth. We conducted five focus groups that collectively included thirty-nine African American youth living in income-disadvantaged urban neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri, to examine their experiences and perceptions of community violence and identify priorities to reduce the negative consequences of community violence. Youth-identified priorities included increasing proactive responses from multiple community sectors; reducing racial discrimination; and creating safe environments, including access to mental health care and other supportive services. Incorporating these findings into current policy and cross-sector initiatives offers a promising opportunity to improve the health and well-being of African American youth exposed to community violence.