Trust and Communication With a Caregiver Reduces Behavior Problems and Protects Against Stress Among Urban Adolescents

Abstract

Youth, particularly urban minority youth, are exposed to high levels of stressful and potentially traumatic life events that have been linked to a wide array of negative outcomes including internalizing and externalizing problems. Youth perceptions of their interpersonal relationship quality with caregivers and friends were examined as potential promotive and protective factors counteracting the link between exposure to stressful and traumatic events and behavior problems. Participants were 85 urban, predominantly African American of age 13–17 years (60% girls). Results supported the hypothesis that youth report of parent trust and communication would serve as a promotive and protective factor, moderating the association between stressful life events and behavior problems. In contrast, peer trust and communication did not appear to counteract the association between stress and behavior problems. Instead, reports of trust and communication with friends appeared to increase the association between stress exposure and internalizing problems.