Parental Approaches to Positive Youth Outcomes of African Americans Adolescents

Overview: This cross-sectional study used secondary data of urban youth to explore parental approaches as predictors of positive youth development among a group of 182 African American youth. This study aimed to examine how parental approaches predict prosocial behaviors among a sample of African American youth residing in public housing.Proposal text:

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore which parental approaches (paternal monitoring and encouragement and maternal monitoring and encouragement would be most predictive of prosocial behavior of African American youth.
This study aligns well with the conference the human rights are global rights particularly in the category of children and families’ rights and protections. While parents are essential in the protection of children, African American parents historically have been excluded from critical conversations within the criminal justice, and the educational system regarding the best interventions necessary to support their children. This study aligns well with the African diaspora track because its results will influence how we educate emerging professional about their role in promoting culturally sensitive practices and interventions for Black youth.

Methods This study is used secondary analysis (Abu-Bader, 2021) of African American youth in public housing. A convenient sample of 182 African American youth completed several well-established, standardized instruments including Future aspirations Scale (Elliot, 1996). The Parental Attitude Measure (Lamborn, Mounts, Steinber, & Dorchbusch, 1991). The General Self-Efficacy (Schwarzer, & Jerusalem 1995), The Weinberger Adjustment Inventory Emotional-Restraint (Weinberger, 1990). The Social Responsibility Scale (Flewelling, Pashall, & Ringwalt, 1993).

Analysis: Four hierarchical linear regression analysis were computed to identify the extent to which parental approaches (maternal encouragement, maternal monitoring, paternal encouragement, and paternal monitoring) predicted prosocial behaviors (self-efficacy, future aspirations, social responsibility, and emotional self-restraint) among a group of African American adolescents residing in public housing.

Results: Of the 182 youth, 95 (51%) were female and 87 (49%) were male. Their ages range from 12 to 21 years (mean = 15, SD=2.6). The results further revealed that maternal encouragement was a significant predictor of self-efficacy, future aspirations, and emotional self-restraint. Maternal encouragement accounted for 10 percent of the variance (R2 change = .102, F (4, 172) = 8.835, p = .000) in self-efficacy, and maternal encouragement and maternal monitoring accounted for six percent of the variance of emotional restraint (R2 change = .062, F (4, 173) = 5.392, p = .000).
Maternal encouragement accounted for seven percent of the variance of aspirations (R2 change = .073, F (4, 173) = 3.876, p = .005). Paternal encouragement and paternal monitoring were not significant predictors of prosocial behaviors. Finally, neither maternal or paternal monitoring and encouragement were predictors of social responsibility.

Implications: These findings are essential to the study of positive youth development of African American youth. Despite that there are improvements in developmental outcomes for African American youth, little is focused on what is essential for youth of color to become more confident in their ability to achieve or to accomplish basic life tasks. Understanding the impact of parenting on prosocial behavior of youth is obvious and yet a unique contribution to this body of literature as it relates to Black youth. Social work educators and human service professionals must reconsider how we recognize and appreciate the role of Black parents when we are developing interventions, policies, and services for youth of color. Other implications are discussed.