Chapter 14

Question 1

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the health of African Americans?

a. African Americans are underrepresented among AIDS cases.
b. African Americans are more likely to undergo corrective surgeries than White Americans are.
c. There is little evidence that the blood pressure of African Americans can be influenced by psychological factors.
d. The average lifespan of African Americans is up to five to six years shorter than that of White Americans.

Answer 1

d

Question 2

___________ and __________ protective factors have been hypothesized to account for the finding that African Americans have lower levels of heavy binge drinking among any ethnic group except for Asians.

Answer 2

Family; religious

Question 3

True/False

Question: Although African Americans represent only 13 percent of the U.S. population, 40 percent of those incarcerated are Black.

Answer 3

true

Question 4

Based on the chapter and some of the family characteristics that are noted, what are some of the ways a therapist might work with African American families?

Answer 4

Rather than trying to change the family structure, therapists should work to make it stronger and more functional.

Question 5

Demographics on the African American population show

a. within 20 years, they will be the largest minority group in the United States.
b. the number of African American men in their 20s who are in prison, in jail, or on parole has decreased in recent years.
c. the poverty rate of African Americans remains nearly two times as high as that of White Americans.
d. their unemployment rate is now only slightly higher than that of White Americans.

Answer 5

c

Question 6

One of the most important counselor characteristic for African Americans is the _ _ of the counselor.

Answer 6

cultural sensitivity

Question 7

Why should a therapist working with African Americans examine their own beliefs about family structure and roles within families?

Answer 7

For family therapy to work, counselors must first figure out what they believe and value about family roles and how people should talk to each other. They should be careful not to force these beliefs on other families.

Question 8

What is accurate regarding the educational experience of African Americans?

a. The educational attainment gap between Black and White children has widened considerably in the last 10 years.
b. Approximately 25 percent of African American adults do not graduate from high school.
c. The percentage of African Americans in higher education has increased dramatically in the last few years, even with the dismantling of affirmative action programs.
d. In general, African American college students report few instances of discrimination and prejudice on college campuses.

Answer 8

b

Question 9

True/False

Question: African Americans in the immersion stage are less likely to report instances of racial discrimination.

Answer 9

false

African Americans in the pre-encounter stage are less likely to report racial discrimination than those in the immersion stage. Those in the immersion stage are also less likely to be happy with society as a whole.

Question 10

True/False

Question: The poverty rate for African Americans remains nearly two times higher than that of all households.

Answer 10

true

Question 11

What has been found regarding African American adolescents/young adults (ages 16 to 24)?

a. Unemployment rates among this population are low.
b. African American youth have the lowest rate of substance abuse.
c. Most do not feel that race is a factor in terms of how people are judged.
d. Their suicide rate is lower than that of White youth.

Answer 11

b

Question 12

Counselors working with economically disadvantaged African American families may need to assume which of the following roles?

a. problem solver
b. babysitter
c. help do chores
d. facilitating mentor
e. advocate
f. case manager
g. navigate community resources

Answer 12

a, d, e, f, g

Question 13

True/False

Question: The unemployment rate for African Americans is nearly twice as high as that of all households.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

What are three specific challenges the African American male faces?

Answer 14

poverty rate, unemployment rate, health issues, racism, crime, school failure, family issues.

Question 15

Describe why the educational environment is often a negative one for African American youth.

Answer 15

People who work in schools often think that African American parents are lazy or incompetent, and they blame the problems of children on their parents’ lack of support for school.

Question 16

True/False

Question: According to research, African Americans have the highest birth rates among unmarried women.

Answer 16

False

Solution: Although there has been a significant decline in nonmarital births in the U.S. across racial and ethnic groups, African Americans have the second highest birth rates among nonmarried women (63 per 1000 compared to Hispanic women’s 73 per 1000)

Question 17

Over ____percent of African American households are middle income and _____ percent upper income versus ______percent and _______percent of White households.

Answer 17

Answer: 38; 12; 44; 26

Question 18

Explore why the first therapy session is crucial in determining if an African American client will return for subsequent sessions.

Answer 18

There are a lot of African Americans who stop going to therapy. When counseling ends, it usually means the counselor was unable to form a strong therapeutic relationship with the client. Because of what has happened in the past, trust issues may be very important. The counselor can deal with these problems by talking about them and being honest, open, and caring. Clients often decide whether or not to keep going to therapy based on how they feel about the counselor. Counselors may need to take on a bigger role and be more open to change. For example, they may need to be more direct, serve as teachers, and help their clients deal with agencies or health and job issues.

Question 19

True/False

Question: Assessing spiritual strengths and beliefs is recommended when working with African American clients.

Answer 19

true

Question 20

True/False

Question: With respect to crime, it has been found that darker-skinned women experience shorter sentences than women with lighter skin.

Answer 20

With respect to crime, it has been found that lighter-skinned women experience shorter sentences than women with darker skin.

Question 21

True/False

Question: African American clients who sense that the counselor is willing to “go the extra mile” with the client are more likely to continue with counseling.

Answer 21

true

Question 22

True/False

Clients who are at the pre-encounter stage of racial identity may believe that race is an important factor in their lives.

Answer 22

False

Clients who are at the pre-encounter stage of racial identity generally do not believe that race is an important factor in their lives. Furthermore, African Americans who are at the pre-encounter level are less likely to report racial discrimination, whereas those in the immersion stage tend to be least satisfied with societal conditions.