113-01: Social Exclusion Among Minority Youth: Paths Towards Social Inclusion

Social exclusion has been widely debated in Europe, however, the concept has been less explored in the U.S, where studies have focused mostly on poverty (Machell, Disabato, & Kashdan, 2016), disregarding other important factors such as community involvement and empowerment. This study utilized nine focus groups to explore youth of color’s (N = 58) social exclusion experiences and the resources they use to create pathways toward social inclusion. Findings describe how youth make sense of social exclusion via critical thinking and the paths they developed toward inclusion and empowerment via bridging and bonding (mentoring), along with available community resources.    

Objectives

- To describe social exclusion and inclusion within an American context.
- To understand how youth navigate the diverse challenges of social exlcusion. 
- To propose community and policy initiatives to prevent social exclusion and promote social inclusion for marginalized youth. 

Keywords: inclusion, multiracial/multiethnic, inequalities

113-02: A Latent Class Analysis of Cognitive Empowerment and Ethnic Identity on Intrapersonal Empowerment and Social Justice Among Urban Youth of Color

The nomological network of psychological empowerment (PE) includes the intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral components. These components have been identified as important processes in youth civic engagement and sociopolitical development. Few studies have specifically examined the interactional or cognitive component of PE. Even fewer studies have examined the empirical association cognitive empowerment (CE) has with conceptually related variables such as ethnic identity. The current study of urban high school students of color (N = 383; 53.1% female; 75% Hispanic/Latinx) investigates the heterogeneity present between CE and ethnic identity. Latent class analyses were conducted; five distinct profile groups emerged. Differences were observed based on profile groups of CE and ethnic identity on self-reported dimensions of intrapersonal PE (e.g., leadership and policy control) and social justice orientation.

Objectives

- Session participants will develop deeper understanding of empowerment-based concepts and the role these measures serve in understanding youth civic engagement.
- Participants will develop understanding, based on study findings, the association cognitive empowerment and ethnic identity have in youth civic engagement.
- Participants will walk away with a conceptual understanding as to how to support youth civic engagement in community programs. 

Keywords: activism, empowerment, adolescence

113-03: Individual and Family Processes on the Links Between Multiple Stress and Child Behaviors Among Rural Midwest Latinx Families

Factors at multiple system levels inhibit or promote health and well-being among Latinx immigrant families. Guided by the family stress model, this study examined roles of individual (i.e., maternal depressive symptoms, parenting self-efficacy) and family processes (i.e., family rituals) on relations between stressors (i.e., economic pressure, acculturation) and internalizing and externalizing behaviors among Latinx children in rural communities in a Midwestern state. Findings revealed direct relationships between acculturative stress among mothers and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. However, depressive symptoms among mothers helped to explain the relationship between economic pressure and child internalizing behaviors. Additionally, the direct relationship between depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy influenced the prevalence of family rituals, which in turn helped to explain the relationship between economic pressure and children’s externalizing behaviors.

Objectives

- To examine the roles of depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy among rural Latinx immigrant mothers and family rituals in the relations between two stressors (i.e., acculturation, economic pressure) and child internalizing behaviors. 
- To examine the roles of depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy among rural Latinx immigrant mothers and family rituals in the relations between two stressors (i.e., acculturation, economic pressure) and child externalizing behaviors. 
- To identify implications for research and practice.

Keywords: immigrants, child(ren), family functioning

113-04: Acculturation/Enculturation Contexts and Acculturative Stress

Acculturative stress, the stress induced by pressures to integrate the mainstream and ethnic culture, is an important predictor of minority youth’s adjustment. This study aimed to identify patterns of family (mother, father, sibling, extended family) and external (peer and work) environmental language demands, and their link to youth’s linguistic acculturative stress. Latent profile analyses were used to identify a three-profile solution which suggested youth reside within consonant enculturation (all context, except work, spoke mostly Spanish), dissonant acculturation (all familial adults spoke mostly Spanish; peers, work and siblings spoke some English), and complex acculturation (most contexts spoke English; mothers and extended family spoke Spanish) contexts. Belonging to progressively more acculturated contexts was linked to more Spanish and less English acculturative stress. 

Objectives

- To identify profiles of diverse enculturation/acculturation family contexts.
- To assess how acculturation/enculturation profiles inform young adults’ reports of linguistic acculturative stress.
- To understand the interrelation of family and external contexts.

Keywords: family systems, Hispanic/Latino/a/Latinx, stress

113-05: Perceived Family Support, Cognitive Well-Being and Goal-Directed Behaviors in Adolescents: Testing the Racial Differences in a Mediation Model

We examined if the effect of family support on adolescents’ goal-directed behaviors is mediated by two cognitive well-being factors (life satisfaction and hope) in two racial groups (African American and European American, Mage = 14.6 years, SD = 2.06) using three waves of data collected across three years. Multi-group structural equation modeling analysis revealed that the total effect of family support was significant for African Americans but not for European Americans. The mediating effect of hope (not life satisfaction) was significant for both groups. These findings suggested that family support exerted stronger effect over a relatively long period (over two years) on adolescents’ positive behaviors in African Americans compared to European Americans, but hope explained the mechanism of how family support worked to promote goal-directed behaviors in adolescents regardless of race. Implications will be discussed.

Objectives

- To test the mediating effects of cognitive well-being factors in a family context based on the engine of well-being theory. 
- To advance the understanding of how family support influences positive behaviors in adolescents longitudinally.
- To demonstrate the differences in the mechanism of the positive effect of family support on behaviors across African American and European American adolescent groups.

Keywords: well-being, adolescence, longitudinal research

113-06: Perceived Racial Discrimination and Adolescents’ Externalizing Problems: The Role of Social Support and Psychological Functioning

African American adolescents are particularly susceptible to racial discrimination, which has been linked with deleterious mental health outcomes. Despite its overwhelming link to mental health outcomes, research linking its effects to externalizing problems, are limited. However, the negative effects of racial discrimination may go well beyond psychological functioning, as there is an increased prevalence of comorbidity of internalizing and externalizing problems among adolescents. This study utilizes a national probability sample to test the effects of perceived racial discrimination on adolescents’ externalizing problems, above and beyond the effects of internalizing problems, and the moderating effect of social support. Significant effects were found for perceived racial discrimination and the moderation effect of social support. Findings suggest meaningful implications for treatment and support around substance use.

Objectives

- To extend the current literature on perceived racial discrimination and externalizing problems. 
- To identify protective factors mitigating the effects of perceived racial discrimination.
- To offer useful solutions regarding substance use, among a vulnerable African American adolescent population.

Keywords: substance abuse, mental health, adolescence