Family Incarceration and Bullying Among Urban African American Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Exposure to Delinquent Peer Norms, Trauma, and Externalizing Behaviors. Issue 4 (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Jeoung Min; Johns, Shantalea; Smith-Darden, Joanne P.; Hong, Jun Sung; Voisin, Dexter R.
• Is Part Of: Families in society. Volume 100:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 422
• Page End: 432
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: African Americans -- bullying -- delinquent peers -- violence; Social service -- Periodicals; Social case work -- Periodicals; Family social work -- Periodicals; Social service -- United States -- Periodicals; Family social work; Social case work; Social service; United States; Periodicals; 362.82097305
• DOI: 10.1177/1044389419852017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1044-3894

Abstract

The present study examined whether having had an incarcerated adult family member was associated with youth bullying perpetration. The study also examined whether exposure to delinquent peers' norms, trauma, and externalizing behaviors mediated the link between adult family member's incarceration and bullying perpetration. The study sample consisted of 638 African American adolescents, aged 13 to 21, in Chicago's Southside. Major findings indicated that 46.8% of the study participants reported bullying perpetration (i.e., at least 1 to 2 times in the past 30 days). Moreover, an adult family member's incarceration history was found to be positively associated with having peers who endorsed delinquent norms, trauma, and externalizing behaviors, which were linked to youth's bullying perpetration. Programs addressing youth bullying need to consider the family dynamics.