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Childhood Predictors of an At-Risk Transition into Early Adulthood Among African American and Caucasian Males

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Abstract

Early adulthood represents a period of transition that is marked by change and exploration. For some, this transition is uncomplicated, yet for others, it is problematic. While many studies have explored factors that predict adjustment in childhood and adolescence, substantially less is known about childhood factors that predict adjustment during the transition into adulthood. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether childhood factors that predict adult adjustment differ between African American and Caucasian males. Accordingly, the current study examined childhood predictors of early adult (age 19–20) adjustment in a community sample of 397 African American and Caucasian males. Findings indicated that African American and Caucasian males who experienced high levels of peer delinquency, depressive symptoms, and conflicted parent–child communication in childhood were more likely to experience adjustment issues in early adulthood. For African American males, low academic achievement was important for predicting adult adjustment, while low organization involvement uniquely predicted adult adjustment for Caucasian males.

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Acknowledgments

Data collection for the Pittsburgh Youth Study has been supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA411018), National Institute on Mental Health (MH 48890, MH50778), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (96-MU-FX-0012), and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Preparation of this article was supported by grant (1K01MH078039-01A1). None of the authors have a conflict of interest. The first author takes responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the data analyses. All authors had full access to the data for the current study. We would like to thank Rolf Loeber and Magda Stouthamer-Loeber for the use of data. Finally, we would like to thank the families who participated in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Austin Peay Building 301F, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Porché T. Wynn & Paula J. Fite

  2. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Dustin A. Pardini

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  1. Porché T. Wynn
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  2. Paula J. Fite
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Correspondence to Porché T. Wynn.

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Wynn, P.T., Fite, P.J. & Pardini, D.A. Childhood Predictors of an At-Risk Transition into Early Adulthood Among African American and Caucasian Males. Race Soc Probl 3, 63–74 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-011-9043-5

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