Changes in Perceived Parent Derogation in a Sample of African American and Non-Hispanic White Males Through the Middle School Years

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were racial differences in perception of parent derogation (i.e., feeling put down by one's parents) in a sample of 451 non-Hispanic White and African American males as they progressed through three years of middle school. Chi-square analyses were used to determine the proportion of participants reporting high levels of parent derogation. Independent t test analyses were utilized to determine mean parent derogation scores. Results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in mean parent derogation scores between the two races. Furthermore, the mean scores remained stable during the three years of the study. However, the proportion of African American participants reporting high parent derogation was almost double that of their non-Hispanic White peers during the sixth grade, but almost equal in eighth grade. Cultural factors experienced by the two racial groups are discussed as possible explanations for the differences in parent derogation scores over time.