Culturally Congruent Strategies for Addressing the Behavioral Needs of Urban, African American Male Adolescents‪.‬

Urban, African American male adolescents experience disproportionately higher rates of discipline referrals, suspension, and expulsion, which have been attributed to numerous ecological factors, including cultural conflicts and misunderstandings between the student's culture of origin and school. Efforts to reduce discipline problems must recognize that a reciprocal relationship exists between cultural thought and the expression of certain behaviors. This article helps school counselors understand the logic that guides certain behaviors of urban African American adolescents in order that they may develop culturally congruent intervention strategies that improve discipline out comes. **********