The Development of Awareness of Racism in Adolescents of Color

• In Event: Psychosocial Development During Adolescence: Applications of Rigorous Multilevel and Longitudinal Methods

Abstract

This mixed methods, longitudinal study considered the developing awareness of racism of adolescents of color over four years of high school. Latent growth models were fit to consider participating adolescents’ (n = 643) developing awareness of racism over five waves of surveys. Additionally, four waves of interviews with a sub-set of adolescents (n = 70) were analyzed to consider participants’ understandings of the effects of racism. Participating adolescents demonstrated significant, linear growth in their awareness of interpersonal and systemic forms of racism between middle and late adolescence. Participating adolescents also most frequently cited examples of racism in the systemic domain of power, and their invocation of examples of systemic racism grew more frequent as they advanced through high school.

Authors

• Scott Clifford Seider, Boston College

• Daren Graves, Simmons University

• Brianna C Diaz, Boston College