What Are The Effects Of Discrimination On Native American Adolescents

Historical trauma, discrimination, and the high rate of cultural stressors found on Native American reservations inhibit the healthy development of its adolescents, reservations do however, inspire a strong sense of tribal identity as well as family and community-oriented culture. These supportive aspects of living on the reservation can help to combat the difficulties facing these adolescents. Poverty, substance abuse, drop-out and violent crime rates are especially high in this area, which can affect the Native American youth’s state of mind. Adolescence is a time period of development when individual identity and social habits are being formed, causing the experiences, relationships and pressures during this time to be especially impactful.
In a study on the needs of Native American adolescents, discrimination was found to be linked to many issues including low self-esteem, impaired mental health, weakened tribal identity, becoming more vulnerable to depression, risky behavior and acculturation pressures (Hartshorn, Whitbeck, & Hoyt, 2012). Adolescence is a sensitive time when “clinical levels of depression and suicide attempts” are already at greater risk than earlier developmental stages making the added stress of discrimination especially harmful to Native American adolescents (Meschke, Peter, & Bartholomae, 2012). This crucial time in development for establishing identity is hindered by the discriminatory treatment that creates a negative view of their own Native American culture. In a survey of Native American fifth through eighth grade students from reservations in the Midwest, 49% “reported significant discrimination” (Hartshorn et al., 2012). These reoccurring circumstances of discrimination are not limited to nonviolent interactions as Native Americans are more likely victims of interracial violence, “committed 60% of the time by white perpetrators” than any other ethnic group (Hartshorn, Whitbeck, & Hoyt, 2012). As Native American youth suffer from discrimination, a sense of their safety and cultural identity may be disturbed. An unsafe environment is not good for adolescent
The number of dropouts among Native American youth is especially high with a graduation rate “46% lower than the graduation rates for all ethnic groups” (Stumblingbear-Riddle & Romans, 2012). These low graduation rates are accompanied by an unemployment rate of “50% or higher” and a poverty rate of 30% on Native American reservations (Mileviciute, Trujillo, Gray, & Scott 2013). These conditions can greatly affect adolescent’s learning environment quality and ability to become thriving individuals. Even when varied levels of education were found, job opportunities of equal caliber were not attainable on reservations (Kaufman, Beals, Croy, Jiang, & Novins, 2013). This can leave Native American adolescents without incentive to achieve in school. A study on healthy adolescent development reinforced the deficit early exiting of school can bring because of the “importance of academic success in relation to future educational and career opportunities” (Meschke et al., 2012). Involvement in school has a preventative effect that can help adolescents at risk of substance use (Dickens et al., 2012). The lack of advanced job opportunities contributes to both the dropout rate and unemployment rate among Native Americans, which then translates to the number of impoverished families, creating a depressing