JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Black children and youth disproportionately experience systemic discrimination, racism, stereotypes, and academic streaming, which negatively affect their well-being. Although they often demonstrate high aspirations and resilience, dominant narratives remain deficit-based, emphasizing challenges over strengths. The limited research on resilience among Black children and youth in Canada restricts the development of informed policy and future scholarship.

Objective:

This scoping review aims to identify, describe, and synthesize existing evidence on the resilience facilitators and hindrances of Black children and youth in Canada and the United States. Given the shared histories of anti-Black racism and similarly structured systems such as education, healthcare, and child welfare, the scope of this study extends to the United States to offer relevant insights that can help inform policy, practice, and future research in both contexts.

Methods:

This review will be guided by the methodological framework for scoping reviews proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. We searched four multidisciplinary electronic databases (CINAHL, OVID Medline, ERIC, and PsycINFO) for relevant reports. The Thesis and Dissertation Global database will also be searched for unpublished student theses and dissertations. Two independent researchers are completing the screening process. Using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, the findings will be synthesized quantitatively and qualitatively through thematic analysis.

Results:

Data screening is ongoing. This will be followed by data extraction, analysis, and the drafting of the final manuscript for peer-reviewed publication.

Conclusions:

The findings from this scoping review will highlight knowledge gaps on Black children and youth resilience facilitators and hindrances, thereby guiding future research. Additionally, the findings will challenge deficit-based narratives on Black children and youth, highlighting the remarkable strengths that enable them to navigate systemic adversities to constructively shape future research and policy in both Canada and the United States.