Labeling of Risk-Taking Behaviors in a Latinx Community: Implications for Youth Engagement With Community Resources

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health 2020-02, Vol.66 (2S), p.S25
• Main Authors: Raymond-Flesch, Marissa, Chavez, Marisol, McGlone, Linda, Caballero, Elodia, Comfort, Megan, Minnis, Alexandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abstinence; Adults; Agriculture; Aspiration; Behavior; Bilingualism; Brain; Cohort analysis; Community resources; Disengagement; Friendship; Grounded theory; High risk; Interviews; Juvenile delinquency; Juvenile justice; Juvenile justice system; Middle schools; Morality; Novelty seeking; Perceptions; Proximity; Relatives; Teenage pregnancy; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972

Purpose: Adolescence is a time of rapid brain development and concurrent novelty seeking. In some youth this results in health-impacting "high risk" behaviors. The labeling of youth and the moral and social values that are placed on their behaviors has been described previously. Less is understood about how labeling of youth in populations with relatively high rates of adolescent-specific health challenges such as teen pregnancy and youth violence influences their health, wellbeing, and engagement with potentially protective community resources. This study extends Labeling Theory to investigate how community and peer labeling of adolescents, based on their known or perceived behaviors, affects their relationships with peers, engagement in school, and support from adults in the primarily Latinx agricultural community of Salinas, CA. Methods: Forty eighth graders (age range 12 to 15) were recruited from four Salinas middle schools to participate in two semi-structured in-depth interviews approximately one year apart. Bilingual research assistants conducted interviews in English or Spanish. Participants were a subset of the youth enrolled in A Crecer, the Salinas Teen Health Study, a prospective cohort study with two years of follow-up. Interviews focused on adolescents' future aspirations, support systems, and relationships. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and five research team members completed iterative rounds of modified grounded theory coding. Results: Participants identified behaviors as being on a "good path" (e.g., success in school, abstinence from sex and illicit substances) or a "wrong path" (e.g., truancy, sexual activity, substance use). They noted that youth may be labeled as "good kids" or "bad kids" based on their observed behaviors. Participants also reported that youth may be labeled based on other people's perceptions of their behaviors, where youth live, or their family and peer associations. Participants often expressed harsh judgements about the actions of youth who engage in behaviors on the "wrong path." However, consistent with Labeling Theory's concept of proximity, when considering the actions of close friends and family members, participants held a nuanced understanding that "good kids" might sometimes make high-risk choices. Participants reflected on the negative effects of being labeled as a "bad kid" with particular emphasis on disengagement from adult supports, ostracism from peer connections, and limitations on education