Preparing to Participate: The Role of Youth Social Responsibility and Political Efficacy on Civic Engagement for Black Early Adolescents

Civic engagement is critical for the well-being of youth and society. Scholars posit that civic beliefs are highly indicative of sustained civic engagement, particularly for Black youth living in the United States. In this study, I examine whether youth social responsibility and political efficacy beliefs are directly related to civic engagement and whether the relationship between youth social responsibility and civic outcomes varies by level of political efficacy among Black early adolescents in the Midwest United States (N = 118). I also investigate whether youth social responsibility relates to civic engagement through political efficacy beliefs among this population. Findings show that political efficacy is related to four domains of civic engagement: helping, community action, formal political action, and activism. Political efficacy moderates the relationship between youth social responsibility and activism, such that the relationship between youth social responsibility and activism is stronger for Black youth with higher political efficacy beliefs. There is also an indirect effect of youth social responsibility on the relationship between political efficacy and civic engagement.