School racial‐ethnic discrimination, rule‐breaking behaviors and the mediating role of trauma among Latinx adolescents: Considerations for school mental health practice

Much of the literature linking adversity to trauma fails to account for racialized experiences, including racial‐ethnic discrimination, which is a highly prevalent form of adversity for youth of color in the U.S. Adversity and trauma often result in students experiencing elevated rule‐breaking behaviors, exacerbating existing racial‐ethnic disparities in disproportionate school discipline. Drawing from race‐based trauma theory, the present study explored trauma as a mediator of the longitudinal association between racial‐ethnic discrimination from teachers, other adults, and students in schools and rule‐breaking behaviors among Latinx youth. Data were from a longitudinal study of 547 Latinx students in a southeastern U.S. state. Across gender and nativity groups, school racial‐ethnic discrimination and trauma positively predicted later rule‐breaking behaviors. Additionally, for girls only, increased levels of trauma partially explained the association between school racial‐ethnic discrimination and rule‐breaking behaviors. The study highlights the importance of addressing school racial‐ethnic discrimination and trauma in equitable school metal health systems. Indeed, efforts aimed at reducing disproportionate school discipline among Latinx students should focus on reducing their exposure to school racial‐ethnic discrimination and increasing access to trauma‐informed and restorative justice approaches.