Does Sharing Activities With Parents Protect African American Adolescents From Low Self-Esteem When Bullied?

Objective: This study examined whether the relationship between bullying victimization and low self-esteem of African-American adolescents was buffered by sharing activities with a parent. We also examined whether adolescents’ gender moderated this relationship. Parents play a role in minimizing the negative impact of victimization on low self-esteem for adolescents. However, less is known about the moderating role of sharing activities with mothers or fathers on the association between victimization and low self-esteem. It is unclear whether this moderator differs by gender. Method: The study hypothesized that sharing activities with parents would moderate the association between bullying victimization and low self-esteem, and sharing activities as a moderator would vary by adolescent gender Data were derived from 523 African-American adolescents living in four low-income neighborhoods in Chicago. Results: Sharing activities with mother moderated the association between bullying victimization and low self-esteem for males and females. Sharing activities with father did not moderate these associations. Conclusion: Connections between adolescents and their parents are important, and practitioners working with adolescents who are bullied by their peers should consider assessing adolescents’ shared activities with a parent.