Poster #84 - Racial Socialization Behaviors and Their Determinants Predicting Child Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Asian American Children

• In Event: Poster Session 13

Abstract

A recent report of Asian American (AA) hate incidents in the U.S. revealed that 16% involved youth, underscoring the importance of familial race-related discussions or racial socialization (RS). Previous work has tied RS to important self- and community-protective behaviors (e.g., identity exploration and civic engagement) (Kiang et al., 2022). Yet, predictors of RS practices and the relation of these practices to AA children’s well-being outcomes are under-researched. The current study tested these associations in a sample of 190 parents of 10-to-18-year-old AA children (Mage = 13.94 years).
We explored how RS may vary based on parent relationship to their child (e.g., biological mother vs. father), education, nativity, language spoken at home; and child age, gender, and monoracial versus multiracial status. We also tested associations between parents’ RS practices and their child’s behavioral/emotional problems. Parental RS practices—cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust—were assessed via the Parents’ Racial Socialization Scale. Child externalizing, internalizing, and attention problems were assessed via the Brief Problem Monitor.
ANOVAS were computed to explore differences in parents’ RS practices by sociodemographic characteristics. Promotion of mistrust varied by parent relationship to their child (F(1, 187) = 5.92, p < .05), parental education (F(1, 187) = 5.08, p < .05), and language spoken at home (F(1, 187) = 4.96, p < .05). Specifically, fathers and parents with at least some college education provided more promotion of mistrust messages than mothers and parents with a high school degree or less, respectively. Additionally, parents who spoke a non-English language at home provided more promotion of mistrust messages than those who only spoke English. There were no differences in promotion of mistrust messaging based on child characteristics (e.g., child age).
Preparation for bias varied by child monoracial versus multiracial status (F(1, 187) = 4.32, p < .05), such that parents with a monoracial child provided more preparation for bias messages than those with a multiracial child. There were no differences in preparation for bias messaging based on parent characteristics (e.g., education, nativity).
There were no differences in AA parents’ provision of cultural socialization messages based on parent or child characteristics.
Linear regressions were performed to investigate RS predictors of child behavioral/emotional problems, controlling for sociodemographic variables. Preparation for bias (β = .15, p < .05) and promotion of mistrust (β = .22, p < .01) predicted attention problems. Preparation for bias also predicted internalizing problems (β = .15, p < .05). Cultural socialization did not predict child behavioral/emotional problems.
RS strategies used by parents differed by parent relationship to their child, parental education, language spoken at home, and child monoracial versus multiracial status. Attention and internalizing problems were predicted by RS strategies. Findings underscore the importance of context considerations and provide support for interventions to promote racial coping strategies. Future work with AA families should consider additional contextual factors contributing to RS strategies (e.g. child ethnicity, experiences of discrimination) and how these strategies, in turn, are linked to child mental health outcomes.

Authors

• Elayne Zhou, University of Southern California
  Presenting Author

• Lisa Kiang, Wake Forest University

• N. Keita Christophe, McGill University

• Gabriela Livas Stein, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

• Shawn Christopher Tracey Jones, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Howard C Stevenson, University of Pennsylvania

• Riana Elyse Anderson, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Chardée Galán, University of Southern California