Building Self-Esteem Through Social Skills Training and Cultural Awareness: A Community-Based Approach for Preventing Violence Among African American Youth

Abstract

In West Tennessee, the Juvenile Court Report indicated that African American male youths were six times as likely to be referred on aggravated assault charges, and were taken into protective custody four times as often as their white counterparts. This study aimed to help lessen the likelihood of African American male youths' involvement with the juvenile justice system by: (a) assisting them in developing positive self-esteem; (b) teaching them decision-making and conflict resolution skills; and (c) exposing them to their culture and heritage. A sample of 122 African American male students were drawn from public schools in West Tennessee. The Stephan-Rosenfield Racial Attitude Scale and Banks Attitude Scale were used to assess students' level of self-esteem. Findings revealed that the mean scores on participants' concept of their physical characteristics and ethnic identity improved at post-program, whereas attitudes toward their neighborhood and school did not. Only students within the age range 10–11 years showed an improvement in their mean scores for physical self-concept and attitude towards African Americans relative to those in 8–9 and 12–14 age categories. Lessons learned and implications for violence prevention programs for at-risk populations are discussed.