Black Girls' Emotional Regulation: Investigating the Roles of Parent and Peer Relationships and Neighborhood Safety

The current study investigates the role of parent and peer relationships and neighborhood safety on Black adolescent girls' emotional regulation (ER). Guided by an intersectional ecodevelopmental framework, the data derived from 188 youth punishment system-involved girls ages 12 to 17 in a short-term detention facility. Data from the 2014 Imara study-a randomized control trial of a sexual reproductive health intervention-was analyzed using multivariate path analysis. Imara comprises a local convenience sample of Black girls in a southern US short-term detention facility. Path analysis results noted the impact of social domain variables: parents, peers, and neighborhood safety on ER, revealing primarily negative direct and indirect effects. However, of note were nuanced findings, which showed that having negative peers was indirectly and positively associated with girls' ER. It was also noted that there was a negative relationship between negative peers and neighborhood safety. This study has implications for intervention programs that should be tailored and culturally responsive. Detention, legal system, and other professionals should consider the unique circumstances and coping mechanisms of Black girls and designing interventions that reflect their lived experiences and unique social environments.