Examining Behavioral Variations in Disadvantaged Adolescents: A Cross-Racial Study of African, Latinx, and Asian American Adolescents

This study explored racial differences in internalizing and externalizing problems among minority adolescents in impoverished urban communities. The study centered on a sample of 211 participants who were engaged in the 2018 Building Resilience Against Violence Engagement (BRAVE) programs. Their internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed using Youth Self-Report (YSR). The results of a one-way between-subjects Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) uncovered substantial racial disparities, with African American adolescents reporting a higher prevalence of externalizing problems compared to Asian adolescents. Additionally, Latinx adolescents exhibited the highest prevalence of delinquency rate at the p < 0.05 level. These findings underscore the strong connection between racial groups and youth problems, emphasizing the importance of considering racial factors in the context of service provision for minority adolescents.