Exploring risk in early adolescent African American youth.
Two studies were conducted to explore the degree to which single- and multiple-risk profiles were evident in samples of African American early adolescents in low-income inner-city, rural, and suburban schools. Study 1 examined early adolescent risk status (i.e., single, multiple) in relation to later adjustment in a representative sample (70% European American, 30% African American). Youth who experienced a single risk in early adolescence had moderately increased levels of school dropout and criminal arrests, whereas youth with multiple risks (i.e., combination of 2 or more risks) had significantly increased levels of school dropout, criminal arrests, and teen parenthood. Study 2 examined the extent to which single- and multiple-risk profiles were evident in cross-sectional samples of African American youth from low-income inner-city and rural areas. About one fourth of both the inner-city and rural samples of African American youth were composed of youth in the single-risk category. A significantly greater proportion of boys in the inner-city sample (20%) than boys in the rural sample (13%) experienced multiple risks. Girls across the rural and inner-city samples did not differ in terms of risk. Overall, more than 60% of African American youth in these two low-income samples did not evidence risk for later adjustment problems. Implications for research and intervention are discussed.
Farmer
Thomas W
TW
Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-8115, USA. tfarmer@email.unc.edu
Price
LeShawndra N
LN
O'Neal
Keri K
KK
Leung
Man-Chi
MC
Goforth
Jennifer B
JB
Cairns
Beverley D
BD
Reese
Le'Roy E
LE
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003415:Crime / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data