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Abstract
African American youth are known to experience sharp declines in self-esteem throughout school, which has been found to be significantly influenced by their perceptions of school climate. Considering these perceptions, ethnic identity has been identified as a protective factor to protect youth against several risk factors through adolescence. However, little is known about how ethnic identity plays a role in the relationship between school climate and self-esteem and whether this relationship differs by gender. The current study examined the influence of an individual’s ethnic identity on the relationship between their perceptions of school climate and self-esteem. Results revealed that positive perceptions of connectedness and safety, and high levels of ethnic identity, were linked to positive self-esteem outcomes. Furthermore, ethnic identity was also found to positively moderate the relationship between peer connectedness and self-esteem for African American girls.