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Risk and protective factors for urban African-American youth

  • Original Paper
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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

The present study investigated risk and resilience processes in a sample of urban African-American youth. Risk and protective factors were assessed across ecological levels including individual, family and community. Both externalizing and internalizing symptomatology were included as measures of child adjustment. Youth and parental reports as well as various methods, such as the Experience Sampling Method, were used to capture the daily experiences of the adolescents from different perspectives. Poverty, hassles, and exposure to violence predicted higher rates of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Individual and family protective variables emerged as powerful sources of resilience. An inner sense of confidence and helpful family support were associated with reductions in the deleterious effects of community poverty. Two main patterns, protective-stabilizing and overwhelming-risk, seemed to characterize most of the risk by protective factor interactions. The present findings are important for understanding the complex experiences of urban youth and furthering the literature on sources of risk and protection for African-Americans.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Jason Malfait for his contributions to this article. This research was supported by Grant RO1 MH53486, from the National Institute of Mental Health to the third author.

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  1. Pacific University, 511 SW 10th, Suite 400, Portland, OR, 97205-2732, USA

    Susan Tinsley Li

  2. Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Karin M. Nussbaum & Maryse H. Richards

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  1. Susan Tinsley Li
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  2. Karin M. Nussbaum
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Correspondence to Susan Tinsley Li.

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Li, S.T., Nussbaum, K.M. & Richards, M.H. Risk and protective factors for urban African-American youth. Am J Community Psychol 39, 21–35 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9088-1

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