WHAT ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN AFRAID OF - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Fears are a part of normal childhood development. However, little is known about the fears experienced by African American children. In this project, 109 African American and 124 white children aged of 6-12 (grades 1-6) were administered the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). A principal components analysis was performed, which yielded a five-factor solution for the white children and a three-factor solution for the African American children. After varimax rotations, some similarities were noted between the three-factor solution for African Americans and the five-factor solution for whites. The most notable difference was the absence of a school-fears factor for African American children. The 11 most common fears for both groups were obtained. Eight of the 11 fears were the same. Contrary to previous reports, it would appear that children's fears transcend race.