African American Male Youth Research Articles

HIV Risk Behaviors Among African American Male Violent Youth Offenders

Bay City (pseudonym) is one of the nation's urban epicenters of the HIV epidemic. Although researchers have examined HIV risk behaviors among juvenile offenders detained in juvenile facilities, no study has examined these risk behaviors among youth offenders who have been waived to adult criminal court and detained in U.S. jails. In the present study, qualitative data were collected from 30 African American male youth (ages 15–17) detained at the Bay City Jail. These rich, descriptive narratives provide important insight into the HIV risk behaviors within this population.

The Difficulty of Making a Sole Diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Letter to the EditorFull AccessThe Difficulty of Making a Sole Diagnosis of Antisocial Personality DisorderScott A. Freeman, M.D.Scott A. FreemanSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 Aug 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10030394AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail To the Editor: Several actions and recommendations made by Daniel Antonius, Ph.D., et al. (1) in their Clinical Case Conference, published in the March 2010 issue of the Journal, are laudable. Much of the case conference was focused on assessing and treating assaultive behavior in patients with antisocial personality disorder comorbid with an axis I major mental illness. The authors' assertion that "Mr. J" had a major mental illness, however, appears to be erroneous. They stated, "In the case of Mr. J, the presence of an axis I diagnosis of mental illness is relatively obvious (1, p. 255). This statement was confusing in light of the lack of substantiation for an axis I disorder in the clinical vignette. The symptoms Dr. Antonius et al. cited for an axis I disorder were self-injurious behavior, mood lability, "hopelessness about the future, and reported insomnia due to nightmares, which [the patient] attributed to a previously undisclosed sexual assault that occurred during a past incarceration" (1, p. 254). The patient was given the axis I diagnosis of mood disorder not otherwise specified in addition to antisocial personality disorder. However, DSM-IV-TR criteria for antisocial personality disorder include impulsivity, irritability, and disregard for the safety of self or others, which would explain the mood lability and self-injurious behavior (2). It is unclear why an additional diagnosis of mood disorder not otherwise specified was made.The authors appear to have been basing much of their diagnosis of an axis I disorder on the isolated symptoms of mood lability, self-injurious behavior (including suicide attempts), and hopelessness. To the extent that hopelessness may be related to a depressive affect, it has been shown in certain samples of youth with antisocial behavior that gang involvement is associated with negative affect but not major depressive disorder (3). The patient's history of suicidal behavior is consistent with studies that have shown an increased rate of suicidal behavior in individuals with antisocial personality disorder comorbid with substance abuse, and Mr. J had a history of cannabis and alcohol abuse (4). This leaves "insomnia due to nightmares," an isolated posttraumatic stress disorder symptom, as the only symptom not accounted for by antisocial personality disorder. This isolated symptom, however, would not qualify for an axis I psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, because of the lack of "prominent anxiety or phobic avoidance" that is a requirement for the diagnosis. (2).With the increased number of forensic psychiatric hospital admissions over the past several years, it is important that psychiatrists make accurate diagnoses in this population. Although quite difficult, being able to make the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder in the absence of comorbid mental illness and then making an appropriate disposition that does not include psychiatric hospitalization is crucial in preventing the victimization of those with severe mental illnesses.Boston, Mass.The author reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.References1 Antonius D , Fuchs L , Herbert F , Kwon J , Fried JL , Burton PRS , Straka T , Levin Z : Psychiatric assessment of aggressive patients: a violent attack on a resident. Am J Psychiatry 2010; 167:253–259 Link, Google Scholar2 American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2000 Google Scholar3 Harper GW , Davidson J , Hosek SG : Influence of gang membership on negative affect, substance use, and antisocial behavior among homeless African-American male youths. Am J Mens Health 2008; 2:229–243 Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar4 Links PS , Gould B , Ratnayake R : Assessing suicidal youth with antisocial, borderline, or narcissistic personality disorder. Can J Psychiatry 2003; 48:301–310 Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 167Issue 8 August 2010Pages 997-997 Metrics PDF download History Accepted 1 June 2010 Published online 1 August 2010 Published in print 1 August 2010

A Culturally Competent Family Enhancement and Empowerment Model for African American Parents

The National Association of Social Worker's Standards for Cultural Competence (2002) mandates social work practices that recognize the cultural preferences of different groups in the United States. The NASW Code of Ethic (1996) states that social workers have a responsibility to understand culture and its function and to further recognize the strengths that exist in all cultures. This article addresses the void in the social work literature on culturally based and strengths‐oriented family interventions for African American parents. The article describes a culturally competent intervention model developed by the MAAT Center for Human and Organizational Enhancement, Inc. in Washington, D.C. for parents of African American male youths who live in high‐risk environments. The family enhancement and empowerment model (FEEM) is based on Africentric social work principles that are grounded in a strengths perspective. The article describes the FEEM program, including a discussion of practical strategies for building trust and offering support to African American parents and families.

Low-income African American Male Youth with ADHD Symptoms in the United States: Recommendations for Clinical Mental Health Counselors

African-American males living in poverty are among the least likely children and adolescents to receive mental health services in the United States, even though they are the most likely to be referred to mental health agencies for services. In this article the authors explore current problems facing impoverished African American male youth who exhibit symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), their need for mental health services, and the barriers to services that they face, and offer recommendations for mental health counselors.

Youth Violence— Crime or Self-Help? Marginalized Urban Males' Perspectives on the Limited Efficacy of the Criminal Justice System to Stop Youth Violence

In 1983, sociologist Donald Black proposed the theory of “Crime as Social Control,” in which he argued that for the socially disadvantaged, crime is commonly moralistic and can be characterized as self-help in the pursuit of justice when legal protection fails. This article uses Black's theory as a framework to assess the role of violence among African American male youth in disadvantaged urban communities in New York City. Using in-depth interview data for 416 young violent male offenders, the authors analyze youths' perspectives on their personal safety; access to legal, governmental, and communal protection from violence; the effectiveness of the criminal justice system and police in addressing crime and violence in their neighborhoods; and the need to rely on self- and group/gang-protection as a means of social control. The implications for self-help theory are discussed.

Race Differences in Mental Health Service Access in a Secure Male Juvenile Justice Facility

This study examined whether African American and Caucasian male youths had similar rates of referral to mental health services in a juvenile justice secure facility when controlling for differences obtained in the initial screening and assessment process. Data from the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2), Initial Health Care Screening and Youth Level of Services/Case Management Inventory were analyzed from 937 male youths (12–18 years old) admitted to a secure care facility. There were few differences between African American and Caucasian youths on MAYSI-2 scales and no difference on the YLS total score. However, Caucasian youth reported higher frequencies of mental health treatment history than African American youth. Even when controlling for differences in MAYSI-2 elevations and history of receiving mental health treatment, Caucasian youths were provided access to mental health services at a greater rate than African American youth. This study indicates that race is a potential factor in mental health service access for youth in a secure care setting.

Racial and emotional factors predicting teachers' perceptions of classroom behavioral maladjustment for urban African American male youth

AbstractThe present study investigated the predictive influence of students' reactive emotional coping and racial socialization experiences on teachers' perceptions of classroom behavior adjustment problems. Participants were 148 African American male youth attending a secondary school in a large northeastern city. Behavioral outcomes included teacher ratings of student behavioral overactivity in different classroom situations. Results using hierarchical regression analyses show that measures of social rejection sensitivity, anger expression, and racial socialization predict teacher‐observed behavioral overactivity, with overt anger expression being the most powerful predictor. Findings suggest that racial socialization and particular styles of emotional coping are important determinants for teachers' impressions of classroom behavior for some African American adolescent males. Implications for future research and interventions with African American male youth in urban secondary schools are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using Concept Mapping to Promote Community Building: The African American Initiative at Roseland

ABSTRACT While many organizations recognize the value of community building, they often encounter difficulty in actualizing projects and developing tangible results. This article presents how a planning and evaluation method known as concept mapping was used to drive a community building effort by a large not-for-profit organization in Chicago around the issue of at-risk African American male youth. This work grew out of a grant related to the needs of African American families, called the African American Initiative, which was funded by the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. The article describes the first phase of the African American Initiative at Roseland, and lessons learned. Primarily, this study was able to generate a conceptual framework of problems facing African American male youth, which was used to revise previously defined outcomes and also create new ones. In addition, use of concept mapping to drive community building generated reflection on intended and unintended benefits. At the same time, challenges around this approach demonstrate the need for continued research.

Cultural meaning and hip-hop fashion in the African-American male youth subculture of New Orleans

This paper reports results from an ethnographic study of African-American youth subculture in a New Orleans high school. The paper contends that youth subculture remains an important construct to situate stylistic resistance among subaltern groups like urban black youth that confront demands for conformity from representatives of institutional authority with alternative cultural solutions. The core argument is that resistance to demands for conformity among members of this subculture stands as a challenge to institutional power enforced by agents of media, school, police, and the prison that label as deviant stylistic expressions such as wearing sagging black pants and braided hairstyles. However, care must be taken not to reify youth subculture affiliation as overly inclusive and resistant, and instead focus on the variable commitment of participants to dominant culture or subculture. Subcultural styles like wearing sagging black pants manifest an ambiguous cocktail of resistance and acceptance of hegemonic ideals and reveal the contradictory fashion and behavioral codes of contending status orders that validate identities.

Influence of Gang Membership on Negative Affect, Substance Use, and Antisocial Behavior Among Homeless African American Male Youth

The current study examined differences between gang-involved and non-gang-involved homeless African American male youth with regard to negative affect, substance use, and antisocial/violent behavior. A total of 69 homeless African American young men were recruited from community agencies and completed structured face-to-face interviews. Overall, gang members reported higher rates of negative mental and physical health outcomes than did non-gang members, with current gang members reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety, greater levels of antisocial and violent behavior, and higher levels of lifetime alcohol and marijuana use. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that greater levels of gang involvement were associated with more frequent lifetime use of alcohol and marijuana and higher levels of participation in violent behaviors. Implications of these findings for interventions with homeless African American male youth and future research directions are discussed.

12: The role of relationship context in African American adolescent males’ condom decision-making

The purpose of this study is to gain insights into condom decision-making and behaviors of urban, African American male youth.

The African American Adolescent Respect Scale: A Measure of a Prosocial Attitude

Objectives: The respect that African American youth feel promotes psychological wellness and social identity; conversely, a lack of respect compromises their identities and is viewed as a threat to safety. This article describes the development, psychometric analysis, and validation of the African American Respect Scale, a 20-item instrument measuring prosocial attitudes held by male adolescents. Method: The scale was administered to 200 African American male youth age 14 to 18 years; 100 were incarcerated in juvenile corrections facilities, 100 resided in the community. Results: After acceptable reliability was established, factor analysis revealed three principal components labeled societal, family, and peer subscales. The subscales correlated with racial socialization and predicted the use of violence. Nonincarcerated youth scored significantly higher on all three subscales than incarcerated youth. Conclusions: Suggestions for social work practice with African American youth include assessing their attitudes toward respect, and assisting them to handle disrespect without resorting to violence.

Early violent death among delinquent youth: a prospective longitudinal study.

Youth processed in the juvenile justice system are at great risk for early violent death. Groups at greatest risk, ie, racial/ethnic minorities, male youth, and urban youth, are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. We compared mortality rates for delinquent youth with those for the general population, controlling for differences in gender, race/ethnicity, and age. This prospective longitudinal study examined mortality rates among 1829 youth (1172 male and 657 female) enrolled in the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a study of health needs and outcomes of delinquent youth. Participants, 10 to 18 years of age, were sampled randomly from intake at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, Illinois, between 1995 and 1998. The sample was stratified according to gender, race/ethnicity (African American, non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, or other), age (10-13 or > or =14 years), and legal status (processed as a juvenile or as an adult), to obtain enough participants for examination of key subgroups. The sample included 1005 African American (54.9%), 296 non-Hispanic white (16.2%), 524 Hispanic (28.17%), and 4 other-race/ethnicity (0.2%) subjects. The mean age at enrollment was 14.9 years (median age: 15 years). The refusal rate was 4.2%. As of March 31, 2004, we had monitored participants for 0.5 to 8.4 years (mean: 7.1 years; median: 7.2 years; interquartile range: 6.5-7.8 years); the aggregate exposure for all participants was 12944 person-years. Data on deaths and causes of death were obtained from family reports or records and were then verified by the local medical examiner or the National Death Index. For comparisons of mortality rates for delinquents and the general population, all data were weighted according to the racial/ethnic, gender, and age characteristics of the detention center; these weighted standardized populations were used to calculate reported percentages and mortality ratios. We calculated mortality ratios by comparing our sample's mortality rates with those for the general population of Cook County, controlling for differences in gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Sixty-five youth died during the follow-up period. All deaths were from external causes. As determined by using the weighted percentages to estimate causes of death, 95.5% of deaths were homicides or legal interventions (90.1% homicides and 5.4% legal interventions), 1.1% of all deaths were suicides, 1.3% were from motor vehicle accidents, 0.5% were from other accidents, and 1.6% were from other external causes. Among homicides, 93.0% were from gunshot wounds. The overall mortality rate was >4 times the general-population rate. The mortality rate among female youth was nearly 8 times the general-population rate. African American male youth had the highest mortality rate (887 deaths per 100000 person-years). Early violent death among delinquent and general-population youth affects racial/ethnic minorities disproportionately and should be addressed as are other health disparities. Future studies should identify the most promising modifiable risk factors and preventive interventions, explore the causes of death among delinquent female youth, and examine whether minority youth express suicidal intent by putting themselves at risk for homicide.

Fatal Injuries Associated with Alcohol Use Among Youth and Adults: 1990–1998

ABSTRACT The major objective of this study was to compare trends in three types of fatal injuries associated with alcohol use among youth under the legal drinking age and among adults of legal drinking age from 1990–1998. The fatal injuries investigated included homicide, suicide, and motor vehicle-traffic deaths. Results were: (1) motor vehicle-traffic deaths and homicide were higher among youth under the legal drinking age than among adults of legal drinking age; whereas, suicide was more common among adults of legal drinking age than among youth under the legal drinking age; and, (2) African American, Hispanic, and American Indian male youth under the legal drinking age were at substantial risk of being victims of homicide and motor vehicle-traffic deaths.

Exposure to Community Violence and Violence Perpetration: The Protective Effects of Family Functioning

Although research has found that urban youth are exposed to excessive levels of community violence, few studies have focused on the factors that alter the risk of exposure to violence or the processes through which youth who are exposed to community violence do better or worse. This study investigates the risk of exposure to community violence and its relation to violence perpetration among a sample of 263 African American and Latino male youth living in inner-city neighborhoods. The study also examines the role that family functioning plays in moderating the risk. The study finds that youth from struggling families—those that consistently used poor parenting practices and had low levels of emotional cohesion—were more likely to be exposed to community violence. It also finds a relation between exposure to violence and later violence perpetration. However, youth exposed to high levels of community violence but living in families that functioned well across multiple dimensions of parenting and family relationship characteristics perpetrated less violence than similarly exposed youth from less well-functioning families.

Labels of African American Ballers: A Historical and Contemporary Investigation of African American Male Youth's Depletion from America's Favorite Pastime, 1885–2000

wish I was a bailer, I wish I was a little taller. I wish I was like 6'9 so I could get with Leoisbi, yo she's really fine. (Skee-Lo 1996) To Be Equal, Be Better The position of Negroes in professional baseball is much better than it was a generation ago when -by gentleman's agreement-they were totally excluded. Today some of the game's superstars are Negroes. Nevertheless, the Negro ballplayers, to be treated equally, must be better. The distribution of both player and nonplayer positions in the baseball hierarchy is different for the two races. Discrimination appears to operate for managerial jobs on the field and in the front office as well as for player positions below the star level. Thus, as organizations become integrated, Negroes appear to be more readily accepted in follower rather than leadership positions, where integration appears to take much longer. How much longer is not known. (Rosenblatt 53) Introduction Over the past decade, little scholarly attention has been given to Americans in organized baseball (Gerlach; Harrison, Life; Korr; Nathan). Through various research perspectives, attempts have been made to understand the virtual invisibility of American baseball players in youth leagues, high schools, and at intercollegiate and professional levels. Studies have highlighted how has maintained the low numbers of Americans on team sports like baseball and football (Edwards, Sociology; Martin; Nightengale; Smith and Harrison; Smith and Henderson; Wiggins). Patterns of racial stacking were evident through the mid-1980s, when Americans were relegated to playing positions based on their race/ethnicity instead of their playing abilities (Smith and Henderson). Plaschke suggests that there are greater numbers of Americans who play basketball and football because these sports have an abundance of role models, youth leagues, and cultural appeal. This increased interest in basketball and football contributes to fewer Americans who play organized baseball. Rhoden suggests that a lack of youth baseball programs and scarcity of full scholarships in college baseball are reasons for the decline of American participation in organized baseball. Early contends that ever since the establishment of the Negro Leagues, black interest in the game has not been intense. Further, he states that African Americans experienced the game through flawed Americanism, imposed on them by whites, and this is why they are somewhat alienated and distant from the game today (41). Despite these authors' viewpoints, our understanding of the underrepresentation of Americans in organized baseball remains limited. There is a tendency to overtheorize the core and crux of this issue and ignore widespread perceptions and beliefs among American male youth. It is essential to understand the complex elements that shape and influence the socialization process of American youth (Edwards, Crisis; Harrison; Sailes; Sellers, Kuperminc, and Waddell). Specifically, racial demographic differences among football, basketball, and baseball require investigation into the environmental conditions that impact the selection of sport by participants (Sellers). A lack of empirical studies that examine the decline of Americans in organized baseball and the use of anecdotal evidence provide only a minimal, exploratory understanding of this issue. Therefore, drawing from various sociohistorical references to Americans in organized baseball at the intercollegiate and professional levels, this article details the empirical patterns and trends of American participation from 1885 to its steady decline in the late 1990s. In addition, this article seeks to extend labeling theory (Becker, Raalte, and Linder; Goffman), which has been used occasionally in sport scholarship to frame and analyze symbolic interaction (see Coakley, Sport). …

A PROPHETIC CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOR BLACK BOYS: OVERCOMING VIOLENCE

African American male youth (Black boys) live lives under constant threat of violence. Their fathers, uncles and grandfathers fear for their son’s lives and seek to impart to them the wisdom of their faith derived from Christ in epistles of love. The root of the violence that plagues them is acquisitive mimetic desire by means of a deviated transcendent model of desire. They have become scapegoats of a racist, consumer-driven, pathogenetic society. The only hope is love found in an intimate mimesis of a transcendent model—Jesus Christ. This is the prophetic task of a Christian education for Black boys in America.

A Prophetic Christian Education for Black Boys: Overcoming Violence

African American male youth (Black boys) live lives under constant threat of violence. Their fathers, uncles and grandfathers fear for their son’s lives and seek to impart to them the wisdom of their faith derived from Christ in epistles of love. The root of the violence that plagues them is acquisitive mimetic desire by means of a deviated transcendent model of desire. They have become scapegoats of a racist, consumer-driven, pathogenetic society. The only hope is love found in an intimate mimesis of a transcendent model—Jesus Christ. This is the prophetic task of a Christian education for Black boys in America.

Individual and ecological assets and positive developmental trajectories among gang and community-based organization youth.

The Search Institute framework for conceptualizing developmental assets was used in a longitudinal study of African American male youth involved in gangs or in community-based organizations (CBOs) serving youth. Analyses of intraindividual change indicated that individual and ecological assets are linked to positive developmental trajectories among these youth.

Partner Violence and Street Violence among Urban Adolescents: Do the Same Family Factors Relate?

Few studies have evaluated how participation in violence that occurs on the streets as part of criminal or delinquent behavior relates to violence that occurs as part of dating or marital relationships (partner violence). Using longitudinal data from 141 African American and Latino male youth (15–19 years old), the relation between family characteristics and participation in one or both types of violent behavior was evaluated. The youth in this study were more likely to report use of violence in relationships if they were also participating in violence as part of other criminal behavior. However, there were distinct groups of offenders. Among those males reporting involvement in a dating or romantic relationship, four groups were identified: (1) those who had not participated in either type of violence, 57%; (2) those who had participated in partner violence only, 14%; (3) those who had participated in street violence only, 12%; and (4) those who had participated in both, 17%. Discriminate function analyses significantly differentiated the group who had participated in both types of violence from the nonviolent group, with the former group having poorer functioning families. These two groups were also differentiated from the partner violence‐only and street violence‐only groups. No differences were found between the partner violence‐only and the street violence‐only groups. Implications for intervention and prevention are discussed.