FACTORS OF PROBLEM BEHAVIORS AMONG ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH

在美国，相当大比例的年轻人经历过人际暴力、犯罪和吸毒等问题行为。这些问题行为与消极的心理健康结果高度正相关。虽然许多关于青年结果的研究都集中在少数民族占多数的青年身上，但包括少数民族青年的研究往往忽视了非裔和马丁裔美国人以外的族裔群体。缺乏理论指导的研究，以此为基础制定年龄和文化上适当的干预措施，以预防或减少少数族裔青年中的问题行为。本论文旨在：(1)描述和比较不同种族/民族青年群体的问题行为模式，包括非洲裔美国人、混血美国人和白人美国人；(2)描述和比较移民和非移民青年的问题行为模式；(3)确定社会发展模型是否能同样好地预测不同种族/民族青年中的问题行为，包括非裔美国人、亚裔美国人、混合种族美国人和白人美国人；(4)确定社会发展模型是否同样适用于移民和非移民青年；以及(5)考察种族认同和/或种族歧视的主观体验是否调节了模型所指定的因素与青少年问题行为之间的关系。有必要更好地了解导致不适应发育过程的因素和机制，以及了解缓冲风险的因素和机制。从这项研究中获得的知识可以导致制定文化上适当的干预策略，减少少数民族青年的问题行为，提高其复原力。

A significant proportion of youth in the United States experience problem behaviors such as interpersonal violence, delinquency, and substance use. These problem behaviors are highly and positively associated with negative mental health outcomes. While many studies of youth outcomes have focused on ethnic majority youth, studies that have included ethnic minority youth frequently have neglected ethnic groups other than African- and Matin-Americans. There is a dearth of theoretically guided research upon which to base the development of age- and culturally- appropriate interventions to prevent or reduce problem behaviors among minority youth. This proposed dissertation research seeks to: (1) Describe and compare patterns of problem behaviors for different racial/ethnic groups of youth, including African Americans, mixed racial Americans and White Americans; (2) Describe and compare patterns of problem behaviors of immigrant vs. non-immigrant youth; (3) Determine whether the Social Development Model predicts problem behaviors among youth equally well across different racial/ethnic groups, including African Americans, Asian Americans, mixed racial Americans and White Americans; (4) Determine whether the Social Development Model predicts problem behaviors in youth equally well for immigrant vs. non- immigrant youth; and (5) Investigate whether ethnic identify and/or the subjective experience of racial discrimination moderates the relationship between factors specified by the model and youth problem behaviors. There is a need to better understand the factors and mechanisms that are contributing to maladaptive developmental processes, as well as to understand those factors and mechanisms that buffer risk. Knowledge from this study can lead to the development of culturally appropriate interventive strategies that reduce problem behaviors and enhance resiliency among ethnic minority youth.