Fictive Kin Support Networks of African American and Black Caribbean Adolescents

Abstract

We examined fictive kin support networks of African American and Black Caribbean adolescents using data from a national sample. Roughly 90% of both groups indicated having a fictive kin relationship, with an average of 6.01 fictive kin for African American adolescents and 6.96 for Black Caribbean adolescents; 8 out of 10 of both groups reported frequent support from fictive kin. Regression analyses for African American youth indicated that closeness to both family and friends were positively associated with receiving support from fictive kin. For Black Caribbean youth, closeness to friends was positively associated with number of fictive kin and support from fictive kin, whereas closeness to family was negatively associated with fictive kin support. Although qualitative research has documented the importance of fictive kin, this is the first study to investigate fictive kin relationships among African American and Black Caribbean adolescents using a nationally representative sample.