Familial Influences on the Coping Strategies of African American Youth From Foster Care Families and Biological Families

The purpose of the current study is to examine the impact of three parental factors: caregiver socialization of coping, caregiver modeling of coping and caregiver/child relationship (i.e. parent support) on coping strategies of African American youth in foster care and those who reside with at least on biological parent. Approximately, 110 African American children and adolescents and their caregivers reported on coping strategies used to manage stressors and stress-evoking events. Controlling for SES, child age and child gender, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether youth residing in foster care reported less attachment and less caregiver socialization of coping as compared to youth residing with their biological parents. Multiple regression analyses were also conducted to examine the association between the three parental predictors and coping strategies of youth in foster care. Multiple regression analysis were also used to examine whether family structure would moderate the association between the three parental factors to youth coping. Additionally, multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether family structure and parental support would moderate the association of caregiver socialization of coping and caregiver modeling of coping to youth coping. Finally, controlling for SES, child age and child gender, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether the use of engagement and disengagement coping differs based on a youth\u27s family structure (biological versus non-biological). Results found no main effects for reports child reports of attachment and socialization of coping based on family structure. Some support was shown for some of the parental factors predicting coping of youth involved in the child welfare system. Specifically, socialization of coping predicted youth coping. Also, family structure was did not moderate the association of the parental factors and youth coping as well as no significant main effects for family structure and parental support moderating the association between socialization of coping and youth coping. Finally, results found no differences between the youth groups\u27 use of coping methods