‘Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go’: Investigating the Roles of Religiosity and Spirituality in Racial Socialization for Black Families

Author

Alexis D. Stokes, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/N9X1-0D69

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0000-8131-341X

Defense Date

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Shawn C.T. Jones

Abstract

Background. Prior research has identified mechanisms of effective racial socialization (RS) transmission among Black families. Recent scholarship emphasizes the role of RS competency; however, less is known about how caregivers' sociocultural factors, namely religiosity and spirituality, contribute to their RS competency. Former studies find that Black adolescents with religiously engaged parents demonstrate higher religious/spiritual involvement and psychological well-being (e.g., Butler-Barnes et al., 2017). Accordingly, the present study assessed 1) how caregivers’ religiosity/spirituality informed the content and 2) competency of their RS communication. Further, this study investigated 3) how caregivers’ religiosity/spirituality influenced the relation between RS competency and adolescents’ racism-related coping behavior.

Method. This study utilized data from Black/African American caregiver (N = 199; M_age = 43.17; 85% female) and adolescent (N = 199; M_age = 14.97; 56.3% female) dyads. Aims 1 and 2 were assessed using hierarchical linear regressions (HLR). Aim 3 was assessed using HLR models with interactions between caregivers’ religiosity/spirituality and RS competency as predictors and adolescent coping behaviors as outcomes. Caregivers’ gender, age, household income, and religious affiliation (Christian or Other) were entered as covariates in each model.

Results. Caregivers’ religiosity and spirituality were associated with RS content, with religious coping being associated with each message type. Caregivers’ spirituality and religious coping were associated with their confidence and skills with RS. While there were several main effects on adolescent coping, there were no significant interaction effects between religiosity/spirituality and RS competency on adolescent coping.

Conclusion. The present study demonstrates that religiosity/spirituality contribute to the content and competency of RS communication. Findings inform advancements for future research, measure development, clinical practice, and policy initiatives for Black families.

Rights

© Alexis Diane Stokes

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

4-26-2025