Racial differences in parents' emotion socialization behaviors: Role of racial socialization goals

Abstract

We examined the role of racial socialization goals in explaining differences in Black American and White American parents' responses to their children's emotions. Black (n = 67) and White (n = 90) parents of young adolescents (9–14 years old) completed measures assessing their racial and emotion socialization goals and responses to their adolescent's negative emotions. Black parents rated preparation for bias and protective emotion socialization goals more frequently and endorsed greater likelihood of emotion suppressive responses—minimizing (e.g., tell my child not to make a big deal of it), punitive (e.g., send my child to their room to cool off), and distress (e.g., get upset with my child)—than White parents. Preparation for bias goals were associated with punitive and distress responses and accounted for racial differences in punitive responses. We argue for integrating emotion and racial socialization to support the advancement of culturally sensitive research and clinical practice for Black families.