Relationships of Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity, and Trauma Symptoms to Delinquency

Previous research has found that delinquency is related to higher levels of trauma symptoms and poorer ethnic identity. The present study used a California Bay Area school-based sample of 307 adolescents to examine whether the relationship of trauma symptoms to delinquency is buffered by higher ethnic identity and whether this buffering effect is relatively more important for ethnic minorities than it is for Caucasians. In a hierarchical regression analysis, trauma symptoms, ethnicity, and ethnic identity statistically interacted to predict delinquency, such that greater levels of ethnic identity were related to less delinquency in the face of increasing levels of trauma symptoms; this effect was especially important for ethnic minorities relative to Caucasians. Findings of the current study suggest that ethnic identity may be an important resource among diverse ethnic groups.