Relationships between ethnic identity, trauma symptoms, and juvenile delinquency

Previous research has found exposure to trauma and trauma symptoms to be related to more delinquency among adolescents and higher ethnic identity to be related to less delinquency among adolescents. There seems to be different levels of the influence of ethnic identity for different ethnic groups. Ethnic identity seems to be more salient for individuals who frequently face ethnicity-related stress, such as discrimination. When ethnic identity was examined among minority and non-minority groups, it was a more central component among minority groups, influencing self-esteem and well-being more than among non-minority groups.;This study addressed whether ethnic identity moderates the relationship between trauma symptoms and delinquency. It also addressed whether ethnic identity is more salient for ethnic minorities. A sample of 307 junior high and high school students from different ethnic backgrounds participated. Measures used in this study included the Youth Self-Report (YSR) measure for delinquency, the Los Angeles Symptoms Checklist (LASC) for trauma symptoms, and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) for ethnic identity. A multiple regression analysis was used, in which delinquency was the dependent variable. Trauma symptoms and ethnic identity were the independent variables. Ethnicity was added as an independent variable to measure salience for non-minority and minority participants. Results revealed that more trauma symptoms predicted more delinquency. High ethnic identity predicted less delinquency. Trauma and ethnic identity interacted to predict less delinquency. Findings of the current study provide supporting evidence that ethnic identity is a healthy resource in preventing emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents. It extends previous findings by illustrating how ethnic identity can reduce negative effects of trauma exposure and trauma symptoms on behavior. Ethnic identity is considered as a potential preventive resource against negative effects of stress.