Examining the Associations Between Latinx Adolescents’ Coping and School Functioning

Abstract

Stress and coping frameworks posit that active coping may help mitigate stress experiences of individuals, such as the stress resulting from structural racism or anti-immigrant sentiments (i.e., sociocultural stress) Latinx adolescents experience in the United States. Active coping has been linked to better school functioning in mixed-ethnic adolescent populations. The current study examined the associations between active coping and school functioning, as well as the moderating role of gender among 288 Latinx adolescents ( M = 13.69, SD = .56; 53% girls). Results revealed active coping related to higher levels of school belonging and grades. No gender differences were found, suggesting active coping works similarly for Latinx adolescent girls’ and boys’ school functioning. This study’s findings contribute to the knowledge on Latinx school functioning by identifying active coping as a potential malleable target for intervention.