Racial Discrimination and Interpersonal Violence in Asian American Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

Yu Lu
Elizabeth Baumler
Leila Wood
Vi D Le
Shannon P Guillot-Wright
Jeff R Temple

Publication Date

2-1-2024

Journal

Journal of Adolescent Health

Abstract

PURPOSE: Racial discrimination targeting Asians in the United States has increased sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a well-established link with mental/physical health outcomes, little is known about how racial discrimination relates to interpersonal violence, particularly in adolescents. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined cross-sectional and longitudinal (1-year follow-up) associations between racial discrimination and interpersonal violence perpetration and victimization in Asian American adolescents in a large US city.

METHODS: Data from Waves 3 (2020) and 4 (2021) of a randomized clinical trial of a school-based violence prevention program were examined. We limited our sample to participants who identified as Asian American (n = 344; 48.3% female; Mean

RESULTS: At Wave 3, 26.5% of the adolescents reported experiencing some form of racial discrimination, including 18.3% experiencing verbal harassment due to race and 16.0% reporting inequitable treatment due to race. Relative to their nonvictimized counterparts, adolescents who experienced racial discrimination were more likely to report being a victim of bullying and teen dating violence cross-sectionally and being a bullying victim longitudinally. Moreover, those who experienced racial discrimination reported more bullying and teen dating violence perpetration concurrently, as well as more dating violence perpetration 1 year later.

DISCUSSION: In the understudied population of Asian American adolescents, we found that experiencing racial discrimination contributes to both interpersonal violence victimization and perpetration. Youth violence prevention could include strategies addressing racial discrimination.

Keywords

Humans, Adolescent, Female, United States, Male, Racism, Cross-Sectional Studies, Asian, Pandemics, Interpersonal Relations, Adolescent Behavior, COVID-19, Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Crime Victims, Bullying, interpersonal violence, racial discrimination

Comments

PMID: 37978955/