Ethnic Racial Identity Development and Self-Esteem among Native American1 1 Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Peer Belonging

While ethnic racial identity (ERI) development is associated with a variety of psychological well-being outcomes, the mechanisms through which this association operates is yet to be fully explained. During adolescence, social belonging is a developmentally salient process that can play a key role in how ERI impacts well-being. We sought to explore the mediating role of belonging to peer networks in the association between ERI and self-esteem among Native American adolescents. In this crosssectional, mediational study, we used survey data from 317 Native American students attending a reservation high school (46.9% female; M age =16). Students' levels of ERI development were measured by combining items from two scales pertaining to ethnic identity development and racial identity. We employed a structural equation modeling approach to explore the mediating role of peer belonging in the association between ERI and self-esteem. Results suggest that our 4-item index of peer belonging was an acceptable measure of this construct. Further, the significant indirect effect of peer belonging explains a notable portion (beta=.22, p<.05) of the total effects of ERI on self- esteem (beta=.54, p<.05). This finding suggests that higher levels of ERI achievement contribute to higher levels of peer belongingness, which in turn lead to improved self-esteem among students. Implications for research and practice are discussed.