Toward a Relational Perspective on Young Black and Latino Males: The Contextual Patterns of Disclosure as Coping

Abstract

In this article, David J. Knight investigates where and when Black and Latino male adolescents engage in self-disclosure—sharing their emotions, thoughts, and social perceptions—with their peers. Building from asset-based research and ecological theories of development, Knight analyzes in-depth interviews and finds that these adolescents may consider context in their decisions regarding whether or not to disclose to peers. Participants who reported disclosing behaviors tended to do so outside of school settings, while those who did not report disclosure discussed how experiences with community violence contributed to their decision not to share their feelings. Knight discusses the implications of this work for practitioners who hope to provide safe educational settings for young men of color.