Perceived Barriers of Urban African American Students: A Group Study

Abstract

Urban African American students are forced to deal with obstacles to success. Researchers have concluded that there are many barriers that urban students must overcome in order to achieve their educational and career goals. The following study provides a look at the effects of group therapy on the perceived barriers experienced by urban African American adolescents. An eight week group therapy intervention was implemented with a sample of 11 African American eighth grade students in an urban school district. The results reveal that group therapy has a positive effect on barriers to postsecondary education, anticipated barriers, and the belief that the individual will be able to overcome barriers that inhibit him or her to achieve career goals. Limitations and Implications for future research are discussed.