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!