Scyatta A. Wallace

Discrimination Distress During Adolescence

Amidst changing patterns of accommodation and conflict among American ethnic groups, there remains a paucity of research on the nature and impact of racial and ethnic discrimination on development in multiethnic samples of youth. The Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index along with measures of caregiver racial bias preparation and self-esteem was administered to 177 adolescents drawn from 9th–12th graders self-identified as African American, Hispanic, East Asian, South Asian, and non-Hispanic white. Youth from all ethnic backgrounds reported distress associated with instances of perceived racial prejudice encountered in educational contexts. Instances of institutional discrimination in stores and by police were higher for older youth and particularly for African American and Hispanic teenagers. Encounters with peer discrimination were reported most frequently by Asian youth. Reports of racial bias preparation were associated with distress in response to institutional and educational discrimination and self-esteem scores were negatively correlated with distress caused by educational and peer discrimination. The importance of research on discrimination distress to understanding adolescent development in multiethnic ecologies is discussed here.

Through the community looking glass: Reevaluating the ethical and policy implications of research on adolescent risk and psychopathology.

Drawing on a conception of scientists and community members as partners in the construction of ethically responsible research practices, this article urges investigators to seek the perspectives of teenagers and parents in evaluating the personal and political costs and benefits of research on adolescent risk behaviors. Content analysis of focus group discussions involving over 100 parents and teenagers from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds revealed community opinions regarding the scientific merit, social value, racial bias, and participant and group harms and benefits associated with surveys, informant reports, intervention studies, blood sampling, and genetic research on youth problems. Participant comments highlight new directions for socially responsible research.

Methodological Overview of the Parents Matter! Program

We present an overview of the methodology employed in the Parents Matter! Program. Information on the following aspects of the program is presented: participant eligibility and recruitment; consenting procedures and administration of assessments; development and utilization of measures in the assessments; study design; intervention procedures; facilitator characteristics and training; procedures to assess treatment fidelity assessment; and procedures utilized to enhance retention of study participants.

Community Violence and Sociomoral Development: An African American Cultural Perspective

This review considers the impact of exposure to community violence on sociomoral development within the African American community. Common sequelae of covictimization, as well as cultural experiences of the African American community, frame a discussion of the implications of covictimization for the development of moral reasoning. Recommendations for future research and intervention are provided.

Using Syndemic Theory to Understand Vulnerability to HIV Infection among Black and Latino Men in New York City

HIV is a public health crisis that disproportionately affects Black and Latino men. To understand this crisis, syndemic theory, which takes into account multiple interrelated epidemics, should be used. A syndemic is “two or more afflictions, interacting synergistically, contributing to excess burden of disease in a population.” Vulnerability to HIV among Black and Latino men is increased as structural, social, and biological factors interact in the context of social marginalization. In New York City, Black and Latino men experience a syndemic of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, trauma, incarceration, and poverty; however, current research has yet to fully identify the mechanisms of resilience that may reduce the negative impact of a syndemic or explore the potential adaptive functions of individual-level risk behaviors. To understand HIV risk as part of a syndemic and address HIV prevention in Black and Latino men, we propose the following: (1) the use of complex systems analysis, ethnography, and other mixed-methods approaches to observe changes in relations among social conditions and disease; (2) multidisciplinary and inter-institution collaboration; and (3) involvement of public health practitioners and researchers from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.

Perceived peer norms and sexual intentions among African American preadolescents.

The purpose of the research was to examine whether perceived peer dating and sexual experience norms are related to attitudes toward dating and sexual behavior and to precoital and sexual intentions among African American preadolescents. Participants included 1,046 African American youth aged 9-12 years (M = 10.57 years). Youth completed a baseline survey as part of a larger intervention study. Perceived peer norms regarding dating and sexual experience were positively related to youth attitudes toward dating and sexual behavior. Youth who perceived their peers as not engaging in sexual activity were less likely to have precoital or sexual intentions. The relationships were not moderated by gender of the preadolescent. Findings from this study suggest that addressing peer norms around dating and sexual activity among preadolescent African American youth may be important for prevention efforts aimed at encouraging abstinence and the delay of sexual activity.

Why Take an HIV Test? Concerns, Benefits, and Strategies to Promote HIV Testing Among Low-Income Heterosexual African American Young Adults

A qualitative study examined perceptions of HIV testing and strategies to enhance HIV testing among HIV-negative African American heterosexual young adults (ages 18-25 years). Twenty-six focus groups (13 male groups, 13 female groups) were conducted in two low-income communities (urban and rural). All sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data analysis was completed using AnSWR software. Many participants expressed that learning one’s HIV status, regardless of the result, was a benefit of taking an HIV test because this was perceived to produce emotional relief. Additional benefits included the avoidance of unknowingly spreading the virus, being offered treatment access if HIV-positive, and taking time to assess and modify risky sexual behaviors if HIV-negative. If diagnosed HIV-positive, HIV testing concerns included the recognition of one’s mortality, the experience of social stigma, and concerns about accessing affordable treatment. Recommended promotion strategies included the use of HIV-positive individuals, pop culture icons, and the media to promote HIV testing messages.

The Parentification Inventory: Development, Validation, and Cross-Validation

Despite the ubiquitous nature of parentification, few instruments allow for the empirical study of the roles, responsibilities, and processes that undergird this construct. To fill this need, the researchers developed and refined a new instrument, the Parentification Inventory (PI; Hooper, 2009). A sample of 847 college students was split into two random, non-overlapping samples. For these initial survey development and cross-validation studies, the factor structure and psychometric properties of the PI were examined. To assess the PIs reliability, the researchers conducted an exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) using the first sub-sample of 431 students (mean age = 20.86, SD = 3.55). The researchers used the results to refine the PI and conducted a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2) using the second, non-overlapping sample of 416 students (mean age = 20.89, SD = 3.83). The best fitting and most parsimonious model resulted in 22 items that cohered into three unique, replicable factors that were found to be fairly stable and associated, although small in magnitude, with mental health constructs and psychopathology in theoretically expected directions. Implications and directions for future research on the measurement of parentification are considered.

Gold Diggers, Video Vixens, and Jezebels: Stereotype Images and Substance Use Among Urban African American Girls

BACKGROUND This study sought to examine the relationship of negative stereotype attitudes and endorsement of western standards of beauty (i.e., colorism) on the substance use behavior of low-income urban African American girls. Racial socialization was also examined as a potential moderator to identify any buffering effects of parental messages concerning race. METHODS Two hundred seventy-two African American female adolescents (mean age 13.02 years) were recruited from community venues in a Northeastern city. Adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire. RESULTS Results of a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that girls who accepted an African American standard of beauty reported lower levels of substance use than those who endorsed colorism. Additionally, racial socialization buffered the negative relationship of colorism to substance use behavior, but only for a certain subset of girls. CONCLUSIONS Tailored health interventions that consider both gender-specific and race-specific issues may improve risk behaviors, including substance use among adolescent females.

Brothers, Sisters and Fictive Kin: Communication About Sex Among Urban Black Siblings

Siblings have been shown to influence youth substance use and violent behavior. However, limited research has examined sibling-influences on sexual activity, particularly among urban Black youth. The current qualitative research was an exploratory study to describe discussions among siblings about sex and sexual health. Individual interviews were conducted with 15 Black youth (7 male, 8 female) from New York City ages 16 to 19 years. Participants were recruited from community agencies serving low income youth. Results indicated that youth had discussions about sex with their siblings. Discussions among siblings included information about sex, conversations about sexual activities and advice about sexual relationships. Some gender differences were observed. Males reported feeling pressure from their male siblings to be engaged in sexual activity. Female youth discussed hearing HIV/AIDS prevention messages from their siblings. Findings highlight the important role that siblings may play in socializing urban Black youth regarding sexuality, sexual health, and HIV/AIDS prevention.