title: Expanding the discourse on urban youth of color.
abstract: The authors in this study used regression analyses to examine the effects of urban hassles, ethnic identity, and neighborhood satisfaction on perceptions of school and life satisfaction among a diverse group of 158 early adolescents. The question of whether positive ethnic identity and neighborhood satisfaction could moderate the impact of urban hassles on school and life satisfaction was examined. Results indicated that urban hassles and ethnic identity were both uniquely predictive of school satisfaction. However, the relationship between urban hassles and school satisfaction was not in the predicted direction. Neighborhood satisfaction was a significant predictor of both school and overall life satisfaction. Contrary to the hypotheses, neither ethnic identity nor neighborhood satisfaction moderated the effect of urban hassles on school and life satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of conducting survey research to directly assess the perceptions of urban youth of color, which will ultimately provide a more accurate appraisal of the specific factors that influence their well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling and Human Services, Syracuse University, 260 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. rqshin@syr.edu
authors.forename: Richard Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buhin
authors.forename: Tikana J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Truitt
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population