Culturally Specific Programming

A number of researchers have reported positive relationships between cultural identity and other variables such as nonfighting attitudes, cumulative grade point averages, self-esteem, and social perspective taking ability. Studies related to racial and ethnic identity over the past 30 years, which in many cases have yielded beneficial results, have resulted in an array of culturally specific programming efforts.

[Page 96]The largest ethnic minority groups typically targeted for culturally specific programming in the United States are African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. It must be recognized, however, that differences exist within groups. For instance, interventions for Hispanics would have a similar cultural foundation; Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans are all categorized as Hispanics, but there are differences in cultural interpretations that exist and should be addressed. The same can be said for Asian Americans, comprising Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and Vietnamese Americans, among similar cultural groups.

Prevention programming for adolescents exists on three levels. Primary prevention involves intervention among adolescents exhibiting no noticeable deviant behavior. Secondary prevention is intervention among adolescents who have shown minimal amounts of aberrant functioning. Tertiary prevention is treatment intended to change rampant abnormal conduct of adolescents. Culturally specific programming tends to exist on the primary level.

One group of researchers has taken seriously the efforts to place theory into practice regarding cultural identity and its role in the lives of ethnic minority juveniles and recommends that culturally specific programming should take into consideration a variety of factors. For instance, a distinction must be made between programs that are culturally sensitive and those that are culturally specific. A culturally sensitive program may include efforts to make sure participants and service providers are members of the same racial group, but this is not always an optimal situation (Soriano, 1993). The service providers in that instance may or may not recognize the importance of racial/ethnic identity. A culturally specific program connects the significance of racial/ethnic identity to behaviors of children and adolescents.

It is also imperative to acknowledge that service providers can be culturally competent enough to draw this connection, whether or not they are members of the participant's racial group. For instance, mentors might be of the same racial group as their mentees but may not be very effective in that role if they do not express their heritage culturally or if they esteem other cultures over their own. Mentees in that situation would be better off with someone who is culturally competent. The culturally competent service provider should be able to go beyond cultural sensitivity when working with juveniles.