Urban Adolescents' Exposure to Violence and Racial Discrimination: Gender Differences in Coping and Mental Health

Exposure to violence and racial discrimination are linked with behavioral and emotional health concerns among youth. However, it is unclear which coping strategies are most adaptive versus maladaptive for youth in urban areas. This study explored the extent to which coping, by using self-reliance or ventilating feelings, is adaptive or maladaptive for youth exposed to violence and racial discrimination in relation to their behavioral and emotional health difficulties. Data come from 398 ninth graders, of which 51% were male, and 92% were Black. Multigroup analyses for males and females were conducted to explore the associations between coping strategies and emotional and externalizing symptoms, with racial discrimination and exposure to violence as potential moderators. Results suggested for females, ventilating feelings and exposure to violence were associated with increased emotional and behavioral symptoms; for males, a series of statistically significant interactions suggested that coping strategies and community stressors operated in concert, with self-reliance coping serving as a protective factor. Ventilating feelings and exposure to violence were significantly associated with increased emotional and behavioral symptoms in adolescent femalesFor adolescent males, coping strategies and community stressors interacted to associate with emotional and behavioral symptomsInteractions suggested ventilating feelings may be a potential risk factor, whereas self-reliance may be protective for adolescent malesVentilating feelings and self-reliance applied to male adolescents; coping skills not assessed in this study may be more relevant to female adolescentsFindings suggest gender-specific coping responses to violence and racial discrimination