Chapter 13: Social Learning Theory and Strength-Based Approaches to Counseling Adolescent African American Males

The factors that influence self-identity through the lifespan are innumerable. Messages abound telling young and old who they are, who they were, who they should be, and, even worse, who they can or can’t be. Defining oneself while immersed in a toxic environment can be a challenging feat wrought with obstacles, many of which hold disastrous consequences.

When one looks at the ecologies where children grow and develop, it becomes important to assess the risk factors related to the development of a healthy and sustainable sense of self. In doing so, one must also evaluate how this ecology is situated to either enhance or diminish optimal development of the child’s opportunities for success. Both these factors hold variables that influence a variety of outcomes. Although each variable is critical, some are more salient than others.