Perceived discrimination and contextual problems among children and adolescents in northern Chile

Discriminatory behaviors among inter-ethnic relations in schools have long been noted and studied, but there are several correlations between discriminatory behaviors and other constructs that need further investigation. As an example, the relation between perceived discrimination and contextual problems—which include family, school and peer problems—among children and adolescents in Latin America has received little attention from previous studies. Further, the mediating role of ethnic identification and collective self-esteem in this relation also needs to be considered as they could be proven as protective factors for discriminatory behavior and its outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to, first, establish the relationship between perceived discrimination and contextual problems in inter-ethnic students aged 8–19 years living in Arica, Chile; and second, to identify the role that ethnic identification and collective self-esteem play within this relation. In order to investigate this matter, a cross-sectional study was carried out with 3700 students in 29 schools between the fourth year of primary education and the last year of secondary education, aged between 9–18 years, with 48.4% men and 51.6% women. The sample was divided into primary and secondary school groups. The scales utilized were the Everyday Discrimination Scale, Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised Scale, Collective Self-Esteem Scale and the dimensions of contextual family, school and peer problems, as well as the general index of contextual problems of the Child and Adolescent Assessment System. For data analysis, we tested a path analytic model at both the within and between levels to account for the relations between variables. In each group the models obtained an optimal fit. We found that perceived discrimination and ethnic identification were directly related to contextual problems (.23-.39), and collective self-esteem had only a mediating role. This study showed that strategized interventions focusing on ethnic identification and perceived discrimination should be utilized by schools to create a better developing environment.