{"id":2823,"date":"2022-06-28T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ccf\/?p=2823"},"modified":"2022-04-19T15:34:56","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T20:34:56","slug":"the-messages-african-american-mothers-and-fathers-give-adolescents-about-race-are-shaped-by-their-own-experiences-with-racial-discrimination-and-their-observations-and-fears-of-racial-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ccf\/2022\/06\/28\/the-messages-african-american-mothers-and-fathers-give-adolescents-about-race-are-shaped-by-their-own-experiences-with-racial-discrimination-and-their-observations-and-fears-of-racial-discrimination\/","title":{"rendered":"The Messages African American Mothers and Fathers Give Adolescents about Race Are Shaped by Their Own Experiences with Racial Discrimination and Their Observations and Fears of Racial Discrimination"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reprinted from The University of Texas at Austin Population Center <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

African American parents commonly socialize their adolescent children about race, ethnicity, and interracial relations. These racial socialization messages include communications about potential racial barriers \u2013 known as preparation for bias \u2013 and messages about African American culture, history and heritage \u2013 known as cultural socialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural socialization has been linked to adolescents\u2019 academic achievement, fewer problem behaviors, and better psychological functioning. Though the evidence is somewhat weaker than for cultural socialization, preparation for bias has been linked to reduced problem behaviors, increased self-esteem, and increased wellbeing in the presence of racial discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

African American individuals can experience racial discrimination directly or vicariously. In addition, they can fear future discrimination, also known as anticipated discrimination. These race-related stressors may, in turn, influence African American parents\u2019 racial socialization messages (see figure<\/em>). For example, after parents are exposed to others\u2019 racial discrimination experiences (e.g., the death of Trayvon Martin), they may prepare their children to cope with racial stressors. Moreover, parents\u2019 worries about experiencing future racial discrimination may lead them to communicate about race with their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How parents view their race and think others view them (i.e., their racial identity), as well as whether they are a mother or father, can influence the relationship between race-related stressors and the racial socialization messages that they give their children (see figure<\/em>). For example, previous research has found that parents who believe others view their race negatively (i.e., they report low public regard for African Americans) are more likely to communicate with their children about racial discrimination. Similarly, parents who hold positive views of their own race (i.e., they report high private regard for African Americans) share more positive messages about being Black with their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This research brief reports on a recent study that examined how parents\u2019 race-related stressors, racial identity, and gender shape the racial socialization messages they give their adolescents. The researchers analyzed online survey data from a national sample of 567 African American parents of adolescents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key <\/strong>Findings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n