Black Students’ Ethnic Identity, Relationships and Coping

AMANDA BREESE is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the University at Buffalo’s combined counseling/school psychology program. She urges anyone with questions or comments to feel comfortable contacting her. Amanda’s research focuses on the relationships and interactions between intraracial youths, and how it effects youths of color development.

An Ithaca, NY native, Amanda graduated from The College at Brockport with a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education studies from UB. She greatly enjoys working with children and families and has aspirations to pursue independent practice. Amanda wants to acknowledge the sensitivity of her research focus and the significant historical trauma with which it is associated. She plans to use additional time and consideration in how gathered data is analyzed and interpreted.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Amanda at abreese@buffalo.edu.

JAY’ANA KING is a second-year counseling psychology doctoral student in the combined counseling/school psychology program at University at Buffalo. She is a native Philadelphian who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in English at Temple University in 2021, where she did research on cross-race peer preferences, the effects of social media, the effects of diversity in schools and peer relationships.

Her current research and clinical interests involve investigating and implementing ways to help POC and Black populations, especially regarding their mental health and well-being. Her goal is to become a Black psychologist with her own private practice, focusing on helping Black and POC adolescents and adults.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Jay’ana at jayanaki@buffalo.edu.

The purpose of our study is to gather information from students about the prevalance of intraracial bullying, its contexts, and its association with ethnic identity development. We also intend to examine protective factors like religiosity and other various coping strategies to promote positive well-being in Black youth and increase the awareness of positive coping mechanisms for Black youth.  We will be administering a survey during the school day and at the end of the survey, students will have the option to sign up for participation in a focus group. Survey will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes while the focus group will take approximately 30 minutes.

We are looking for students from the Buffalo Public and Niagara Falls City school districts who are in grades 7-12 and identify as Black/African American.

• If you are a student who would like to participate in this study or a parent who would like your student to participate, fill out a consent form.
• 20 random students who return signed consent forms will be entered for a chance to win a $10 gift card to their store of choice! Gift cards will be distributed to students in the weeks following research conduction.
  
• Students will be able to sign up for optional focus group participation at the end of survey administration. These focus groups will help the researchers gain a better understanding of students’ experiences with same race bullying, ethnic identity development, and coping strategies.
  

• Amanda Breese at abreese@buffalo.edu 
• Jay'ana King at jayanaki@buffalo.edu

• Amanda Nickerson at nickersa@buffalo.edu or 716-645-3448
• Stephanie Fredrick at ssfredri@buffalo.edu or 716-645-1141