African American Child

Yvette R. Harris, PhD, is Professor of Psychology, Miami University, Ohio.James A. Graham, PhD, is Professor of Psychology, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsCHAPTER 1 Demographics: A Portrait of African AmericanChildren and African American Adolescents 1OverviewSection One: Population Statistics on African American Children andAfrican American AdolescentsSection Two: Living Arrangements of African American ChildrenSection Three: Economic Conditions of African American Children and Their FamiliesPerspectives on Demographics and African American Children andAfrican American AdolescentsAdditional ReadingsCHAPTER 2 Research Issues With African American Children andAfrican American Adolescents 15Overview: The Importance of Studying Developmental Research MethodsInsider’s Voice: The Need for More Research on African American ChildrenSection One: Problems: Methodological Constraints in Research DesignsInsider’s Voice: Where Have We Gone Wrong?Section Two: Conducting Culturally Relevant Research With African American ChildrenThe Need for Culturally Sensitive Research With African American ChildrenConceptual Frameworks and InterdisciplinarityThe Role of Context in African American Child DevelopmentThe Relationship to African American Child Development and Central Characteristics in Developmental PsychologyEthical Considerations With African American Child ParticipantsSection Three: TheoriesVygotsky’s Sociocultural TheoryBronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems TheoryIntegrative Conceptual Model of Child DevelopmentPerspectives on Research and TheoriesChapter SummaryAdditional ReadingsDiscussion QuestionsCHAPTER 3 Health Issues and African American Children and African American AdolescentsOverviewSection One: Health ChallengesInfant MortalityInsider’s Voice: Infant MortalityMaternal Risk FactorsInitiatives Designed to Reduce African American Infant Mortality RatesPhysical Challenges Beyond InfancyAIDSTreatment of AIDSPlumbismInsider’s Voice: PlumbismTreatment of PlumbismSickle-Cell AnemiaInsider’s Voice: Sickle-Cell AnemiaTreatment of Sickle-Cell AnemiaAsthmaTreatment of AsthmaObesityTreatment of ObesityAfrican American Adolescents and Health IssuesSexual Behavior Contraceptive Use Teen PregnancySTI’s and STD’s Section Two: Access to Health CarePerspectives on the Health Status of African American Children andAfrican American AdolescentsChapter SummaryAdditional ReadingsDiscussion QuestionsCHAPTER 4 Mental Health Issues, Racial Identity and African American Children and African American Adolescents 65OverviewSection One: Mental Health IssuesInsider’s Voice: African American Children and Mental Health IssuesMental Health Status of African American Children and African American AdolescentsRisk FactorsAssessment and DiagnosisTreatment of Mental Health DisordersSection Two: Racial IdentityModifiability StudiesSelf Concept and Racial IdentityCognitive level and Racial AttitudesThe Doll Test and the 21st CenturyAfrican American Adolescents and Racial IdentityPerspectives on Mental Health and Racial IdentityChapter SummaryAdditional ReadingsDiscussion QuestionsCHAPTER 5 Education and African American Children and African American Adolescents 83OverviewSection One: School Desegregation and African American ChildrenInsider’s Voice: Resegregation of America’s Public SchoolsDesegregation and African American ChildrenSection Two: Schools That Work for African American ChildrenPublic School ModelsCharter SchoolsIndependent Black Schools (IBS)Section Three: African American Children and Early Intervention ProgramsHead StartHigh/Scope Perry Preschool ProjectThe Abecedarian ProjectPerspectives on Education and African American ChildrenChapter SummaryAdditional ReadingsDiscussion QuestionsCHAPTER 6 Language and Literacy 111OverviewSection One: The ControversyInsider’s Voice: The Oakland School Board Ebonics ResolutionSection Two: Language Learning and African American ChildrenSection Three: Language and Literacy IssuesSection Four: Language and Literacy Intervention Programs for African American ChildrenSection Five: Language Assessment and African American Children: Distinguishing Dialect From a Speech Language DisorderPerspectives on Language Learning and Literacy and African American ChildrenChapter SummaryAdditional ReadingsDiscussion QuestionsCHAPTER 7 Moral Development 133OverviewInsider’s Voice: What if Heinz Were Black?The IssuesSection One: Theories of Moral DevelopmentPiaget’s TheoryKohlberg’s Theory: The Ethic of JusticeCriticisms of Piaget’s and Kohlberg’s TheoriesGilligan’s Theory: The Ethic of CareGibb’s Sociomoral Reasoning ModelHumphries’ Culture and Empathy ModelTuriel’s Domain Theory: Moral Rules and Social ConventionsSection Two: Aggressive Behavior and African American ChildrenMorality and Racial Identity DevelopmentSection Three: Prosocial Behavior and African American ChildrenPossible Factors Influencing Prosocial Behavior in African American ChildrenMoral Development and Community ViolenceInsider’s Voice: Dissecting the ‘Code of the Street’Perspectives on African American Children and Moral DevelopmentChapter SummaryAdditional ReadingsDiscussion QuestionsCHAPTER 8 Social Contexts in the Lives of African American Children and African American AdolescentsAmerican Children: 165OverviewIssuesInsider’s Voice: Resilience in Black FamiliesSection One: Models of the African American FamilyPathological ModelCultural Equivalent ModelEmergent ModelEcology Models of the FamilyGuiding Principles of Family Systems TheoryExternal Systems Affecting the FamilySection Two: African American Family Structure and Child DevelopmentNuclear FamilyAfrican American Single-Parent FamiliesOther Types of Families Childre of Incarcerated ParentsFoster Care Families Section Three: Neighborhoods and CommunitiesSection Four: The Peer GroupAfrican American Children’s Peer RelationshipsAfrican American Children’s FriendshipsRace and Bullying Section Five: Media Exposure and Usage Perspectives on African American Children and Social ContextsChapter SummaryAdditional Readings Discussion QuestionsCHAPTER 9 Epilogue: Where Do We Go From Here? 185PovertyCultural Diversity Within the African American PopulationFamily ConstellationHealth CareEducationViolenceMass Incarceration of Neighborhoods and African American Parents References 189Index 215