Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies Program–Racialized Short (BPSS-RS): “Real-World” Dismantle, Implementation, and Evaluation

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Adversity and Resilience Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies (BPSS; Coard, 2003) is a 12-week manualized evidence-based parenting program designed to promote positive and culturally relevant parenting practices for fostering cultural, social, and behavioral competence in African American children. BPSS purposefully and strategically combines universal (commonly studied) approaches to parenting (e.g., monitoring, positive parenting) with inherent strengths and processes of African American families (e.g., racial-ethnic socialization) and attends to the unique challenges that African American parents face in childrearing (e.g., racism, discrimination). Feasibility and efficacy (highly controlled lab setting) for BPSS has been established via a randomized controlled trial (pre-intervention and immediate-post intervention) (Coard et al., The Counseling Psychologist, 35(6), 797-820, 2007). Informed by a dismantling approach and developed to meet the expressed need of a community (community centered approach), The Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies–Racialized Short (BPSS-RS) is a 3-week abbreviated version of the BPSS intervention composed solely of racialized parenting and racial-ethnic socialization components. Evaluation of BPSS-RS was the focus of the current study given that it is unknown what outcomes the abbreviated version may yield, particularly when implemented in a “real-world” or “service as usual” environment. Based on pre-post analyses, participation in BPSS-RS resulted in significant improvements in proactive racial socialization, with no significant improvements in the other parenting variables. Furthermore, BPSS-RS participants showed high rates of attendance and satisfaction with the program. Results of this study provide additional support for feasibility and receptibility of the BPSS program, and highlight the potential effectiveness of culturally relevant intervention programs in improving parenting strategies believed to be most instrumental in helping youth respond to racism and fostering African American parents’ use of culturally relevant coping strategies with their children (i.e., racial socialization) in an effort to guard against the negative effects of racial discrimination and racism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychological Association, APA Task Force on Race and Ethnicity Guidelines in Psychology. (2019). Race and ethnicity guidelines in psychology: Promoting responsiveness and equity. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/about/policy/race-and-ethnicity-in-psychology.pdf

  • Anderson, R. E., Amari, M., & Stevenson, H. C. (2018). Embracing racial stress and trauma: Preliminary feasibility and coping responses of a racial socialization intervention. Journal of Black Psychology, 44(1), 25–46.https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798417732930

  • Benner, A. D., Wang, Y., Shen, Y., Boyle, A. E., Polk, R., & Cheng, Y.-P. (2018). Racial/ethnic discrimination and well-being during adolescence: A meta-analytic review. The American Psychologist, 73(7), 855–883. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000204

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., Gerrard, M., & Gibbons, F. X. (2004). The strong African American families program: Translating research into prevention programming. Child Development, 75(3), 900–917. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00713.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., Yu, T., Miller, G. E., & Chen, E. (2015). Discrimination, racial identity, and cytokine levels among African-American adolescents. The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 56(5), 496–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.01.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D. L., & Tylka, T. L. (2011). Racial discrimination and resilience in African American young adults: Examining racial socialization as a moderator. Journal of Black Psychology, 37(3), 259–259. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798410390689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caughy, M. O. B., O’Campo, P. J., Randolph, S. M., & Nickerson, K. (2002). The influence of racial socialization practices on the cognitive and behavioral competence of African American preschoolers. Child Development, 73(5), 1611. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00493

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, R. T., Johnson, V. E., Roberson, K., Mazzula, S. L., Kirkinis, K., & Sant-Barket, S. (2017). Race-based traumatic stress, racial identity statuses, and psychological functioning: An exploratory investigation. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(1), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chavous, T. M., Rivas-Drake, D., Smalls, C., Griffin, T., & Cogburn, C. (2008). Gender matters, too: The influences of school racial discrimination and racial identity on academic engagement outcomes among african american adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 44(3), 637–637. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.44.3.637

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R., & Gochett, P. (2006). Interactive effects of perceived racism and coping responses predict a school-based assessment of blood pressure in Black youth. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 32(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3201_1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coard, S. I. (2003). African American Parenting Strengths and Strategies Program (BPSS): Professional manual. Unpublished Manual.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coard, S. I., Wallace, S. A., Stevenson, H. C., & Brotman, L. M. (2004). Towards culturally relevant preventive interventions: The consideration of racial socialization in parent training with African American families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 13(3), 277–293. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JCFS.0000022035.07171.f8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coard, S. I., & Sellers, R. M. (2005). African American families as a context for racial socialization. In V. C. McLoyd, N. E. Hill, & K. A. Dodge (Eds.), African American family life: Ecological and cultural diversity (pp. 264–284). The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coard, S. I., Foy-Watson, S., Zimmer, C., & Wallace, A. (2007). Considering culturally relevant parenting practices in intervention development and adaptation: A randomized controlled trial of the Black parenting strengths and strategies (BPSS) program. The Counseling Psychologist, 35(6), 797–820. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000007304592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coard, S. I., Herring, M. H., Watkins, M. H., Foy-Watson, S. A., & McCoy, S. Z. (2013). Black parents strengths and strategies (BPSS) program: A cultural adaptation of the strong-willed child program. In C. S. Clauss-Ehlers, Z. N. Serpell, & M. D. Weist (Eds.), Handbook of Culturally Responsive School Mental Health (pp. 77–87). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4948-5_6

  • English, D., Lambert, S. F., & Ialongo, N. S. (2016). Adding to the education debt: Depressive symptoms mediate the association between racial discrimination and academic performance in African Americans. Journal of School Psychology, 57, 29–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2016.05.007

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, W. H. (2018). Diversity explosion: How new racial demographics are remaking America. Brookings Institution Press.

  • Garnett, B. R., Masyn, K. E., Austin, S. B., Williams, D. R., & Viswanath, K. (2015). Coping styles of adolescents experiencing multiple forms of discrimination and bullying: Evidence from a sample of ethnically diverse urban youth. The Journal of School Health, 85(2), 109–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12225

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., Cleveland, M. J., Wills, T. A., & Brody, G. (2004). Perceived discrimination and substance use in African American parents and their children: A panel study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(4), 517–529 https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.86.4.517

  • Greene, M. L., Way, N., & Pahl, K. (2006). Trajectories of perceived adult and peer discrimination among Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents: Patterns and psychological correlates. Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 218–236. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.2.218

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social Skills Rating System. American Guidance Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, D., Del Toro, J., Harding, J. F., Way, N., & Rarick, J. R. D. (2016). Trajectories of discrimination across adolescence: Associations with academic, psychological, and behavioral outcomes. Child Development, 87(5), 1337–1351. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12591

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lesane-Brown, C. L. (2006). A review of race socialization within Black families. Developmental Review, 26(4), 400–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2006.02.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, A. (2021). Racialized parenting in the United States. Sociology Compass, 15(8). https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12910

  • Marchand, E., Stice, E., Rohde, P., & Becker, C. B. (2011). Moving from efficacy to effectiveness trials in prevention research. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49(1), 32–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2010.10.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marks, A. K., Ejesi, K., McCullough, M., García Coll, C. (2015). Developmental implications of discrimination. In Lamb, M., García Coll, C., Lerner, R. (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Socioemotional processes (7th ed., pp. 324–365). Wiley.

  • Mejia, A., Leijten, P., Lachman, J. M., & Ruben, P.-C. (2017). Different strokes for different folks? contrasting approaches to cultural adaptation of parenting interventions. Prevention Science, 18(6), 630–639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-016-0671-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neblett, E. W., Philip, C. L., Cogburn, C. D., & Sellers, R. M. (2006). African American adolescents’ discrimination experiences and academic achievement: Racial socialization as a cultural compensatory and protective factor. Journal of Black Psychology, 32(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798406287072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neblett, E. W., Rivas-Drake, D., & Umana-Taylor, A. J. (2012). The promise of racial and ethnic protective factors in promoting ethnic minority youth development. Child Development Perspectives, 6(3), 295–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00239.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Office of the Surgeon General (US). (2020). Chapter 3 Mental Health Care for African Americans. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44251/

  • Pachter, L. M., Bernstein, B. A., Szalacha, L. A., & García, C. C. (2010). Perceived racism and discrimination in children and youths: An exploratory study. Health & Social Work, 35(1), 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/35.1.61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priest, N., Paradies, Y., Trenerry, B., Truong, M., Karlsen, S., & Kelly, Y. (2013). A systematic review of studies examining the relationship between reported racism and health and wellbeing for children and young people. Social Science & Medicine, 95, 115–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.11.031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (2002). The clinician’s guide to the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). Guildford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (1992). Behavior Assessment System for Children

  • (BASC). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

  • Smith-Bynum, M. A., Anderson, R. E., Davis, B. A. L., Franco, M. G., & English, D. (2016). Observed racial socialization and maternal positive emotions in African American mother-adolescent discussions about racial discrimination. Child Development, 87(6), 1926–1939. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12562

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, H. C. (1994). Validation of the scale of racial socialization for African American adolescents: Steps toward multidimensionality. Journal of Black Psychology, 20(4), 445–468. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984940204005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, H. C. (1995). Relationship of adolescent perceptions of racial socialization to racial identity. Journal of Black Psychology, 21(1), 49–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984950211005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, H. C., Herrero-Taylor, T., Cameron, R., & Davis, G. Y. (2002). “Mitigating instigation”: Cultural phenomenological influences of anger and fighting among “big-boned” and “baby-faced” African American youth. JOurnal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(6), 473–485. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020267221683

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trent, M., Dooley, D. G., Dougé, J., Trent, M. E., Cavanaugh, R. M., Lacroix, A. E., Wallace, S. B. (2019). The impact of racism on child and adolescent health. Pediatrics, 144(2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-1765

  • Webster-Stratton, C. (1989). Systematic comparison of consumer satisfaction of three cost-effective parent training programs for conduct problem children. Behavior Therapy, 20(1), 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(89)80121-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of North Carolina ~ Greensboro, PO Box 26170 ~ Stone 153, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Stephanie Irby Coard, Keadija C. Wiley & Ashley G. Evans

Authors
  1. Stephanie Irby Coard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Keadija C. Wiley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ashley G. Evans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie Irby Coard.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Coard, S.I., Wiley, K.C. & Evans, A.G. The Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies Program–Racialized Short (BPSS-RS): “Real-World” Dismantle, Implementation, and Evaluation. ADV RES SCI 2, 235–245 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-021-00046-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-021-00046-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation