noelle hurd, ph.d., mph - "examining natural mentoring relationships among black...
TRANSCRIPT
Examining Natural Mentoring Relationships among Black Adolescents
Noelle Hurd, PhD, MPHUniversity of Virginia
Overview Natural Mentoring Relationships
Focus on Black Adolescents
Review Findings from Recent Research
Next Steps & Future Directions
Implications for Practice
Natural Mentoring Relationships (NMRs)
NMRs among Black Adolescents
What have I found?
• Adolescents with NMRs reported− less psychological distress− fewer health-risk behaviors
• Above and beyond parental & peer support
Stress DepressiveSymptoms
Natural Mentor
Relationship Characteristics & Pathways What are the pathways through which natural
mentoring relationships may promote more positive outcomes?
Do characteristics of natural mentoring relationships determine their effectiveness?
Pathways
EducationalAttainment
Public Regard
SchoolImportance
Private Regard
Centrality
8th gradeGPA
Mentor Presence
Relationship Characteristics
Length of Rela-tionship
Involvement Closeness Frequency of Contact
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
LC Mentoring Relationship MC Mentoring Relationshipn = 72 n = 123
Pathways
LC NaturalMentoring
Relationship
Academic
Engagementstudent report
MC NaturalMentoring
Relationship
Academic
Engagementteacher report
SocialSkills
PsychologicalWell-Being
Self-Control Assertion Empathy Cooperation
PositiveRelations
PersonalGrowth Autonomy Environmental
MasteryPurposeSelf-Acceptance
Relationship Characteristics
LS Men
toring
Relatio
nship
FC Men
toring
Relatio
nship
LE Men
toring
Relatio
nship
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
Relationship Duration Frequency of Contact Closeness
n = 95 n = 79 n = 35
Predictors of Natural Mentoring Black teens appear to benefit from strong
NMRs, but what about Black teens who don’t have NMRs?
Studying Contexts Family
Size of extended family Proximity of adult relatives # of household responsibilities Caregiver beliefs (shared childrearing, mistrust)
Community Safe spaces (parks, community centers) Violence Collective efficacy Intergenerational closure
Conclusions• NMRs: low-cost, widely available resource to Black
youth
• Mobilizing high-quality, sustainable NMRs may contribute to resilient outcomes
• Efforts to promote NMRs:• build interest & skills among youth & adults• create contexts conducive to their formation
Integrating Formal & Informal Mentoring
What’s wrong with ignoring natural mentoring?
What can formal programs do?
Risks of Ignoring Natural Mentoring
Presumes there are not other positive adults present in youths’ everyday lives
Fails to capitalize on one of formal mentoring’s pathways of influence
Missed opportunity to help strengthen relationships that may be more enduring
What Can Programs Do? Make connecting with positive adults in youths’
pre-existing social networks an explicit goal
Train mentors to be connectors
Help mentors to become more integrated in youths’ social networks and communities Cultural competence Focusing on strengths
Acknowledgements Promoting Healthy Adolescent Development
(PHAD) Lab
Participants
William T. Grant Foundation
YOU!