Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Study Of Psychological Sense Of Community As A Mediator Between Supportive Social Systems, School Belongingness, And Outcome Behaviors Among Urban High School Students Of Color, David T. Lardier, Ijeoma Opara, Carrie Bergeson, Andriana Herrera, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Psychological sense of community (SOC) has been examined minimally among the youth of color, and as a mediating variable, as well as construct implicated in promoting wellness. Using data from a sample of 401 students of color (M age = 16.55, standard deviation = 1.31; 54.7% female; 57% Hispanic/Latina[o]) from an underserved northeastern US urban community, we examined the mediating relationship of psychological SOC between social support, participation in youth-based community programs, and outcomes including school belongingness, risk behaviors such as substance use and violent behavior, and psychological symptoms, including depression. Results indicated that access to social supports and youth-based …