The Impact of Racial Discrimination and School Composition on Latinx Adolescents’ Social Status Insecurity and Aggression

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between racial discrimination by peers (RDPS) and aggression across 1 year through the mediation of insecurity regarding peer status (i.e., social status insecurity [SSI]) among Latinx adolescents who were part of a school in which they were (a) the majority, (b) the minority, or (c) part of the majority. Participants were 606 Latinx adolescents (60% girls; M = 14.36 years, SD = 0.46 years). RDPS was positively associated with SSI for minority and part-of-the-majority adolescents. For part-of-the-majority adolescents, SSI was positively associated with self-reported aggression and peer-nominated overt aggression. Only SSI and self-reported overt aggression were associated for majority adolescents. Aggressive behaviors were associated with SSI among minority adolescents. SSI mediated the association between RDPS and aggression for minority adolescents. For part-of-the-majority adolescents, self-reported overt aggression and RDPS were mediated by SSI. These findings indicate that RDPS affects minority and part-of-the-majority adolescents’ insecure feelings regarding their peer status, which contributes to aggressive behaviors 1 year later.