Parental and Mentor Influences on African American Boys’ Psychological Functioning

• In Event: 1-077 - Staring Down the Gauntlet: African American Boys’ Racial Discrimination Experiences in Relation to Positive Development

Integrative Statement

Racial discrimination is a non-specific risk factor for African Americans, meaning that it causes various ill-effects, such as increased distress and lower psychological well-being (Seaton et al., 2011). African Americans experience racial discrimination earlier in life, placing African American youth and adolescents at increased stress and risk (Brody, 2014; Smith-Bynum et al., 2014). Positive peer and mentorship influences have been shown to directly impact psychological outcomes for African-American adolescents in the face of negative life experiences (Diamond & Lucas, 2004; Dubois & Silverthorn, 2005; Hurd & Zimmerman, 2010; Hurd & Sellers, 2013). It is necessary to consider, from a risk and resilience perspective, the role that positive social relationships have in determining the ill effects of racial discrimination on African American boys. To better understand the effect of protective resources like mentorship support and racial socialization messages on psychological well-being, a sample of African American male students (N=615, age=14.35) from 3 Midwestern, urban, middle and high-schools were surveyed using self-report measures. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to explore the relationships among the independent variables and psychological well-being. Results indicate that school-based discrimination (B= -.231, p<.000) is negatively associated with psychological well-being, while positive peer influence (B=.297, p<.000) is positively related to psychological well-being. Further, the relationship between school-based discrimination and psychological well-being is moderated by mentorship (B= -.111, p=.011) such that African American male youth who report higher levels of mentorship support also reported better psychological well-being regardless of level of discrimination. Additionally, a developmental (age) effect was identified in the role of racial socialization on psychological well-being for African American boys. These findings suggest implications for caregivers, teachers, and mental health professionals in support of African American boys.

Authors

• Amardeep Khahra, Palo Alto University
  Presenting Author

• Alvin Thomas, Palo Alto University
  Non-Presenting Author