Self-Reported Perspectives from Participants in a Middle/High School Virtual Mentoring Program for Students of Color

Authors

  • Haley Hintz Psychology Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, United States
  • Maggie Freeman Psychology Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, United States
  • Myra Beth Bundy Psychology Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, United States
  • Theresa Botts Psychology Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, United States
  • Rhoman James Psychology Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijeps.v2i5.2402

Keywords:

Mentorship, Youth of Color, Personal Finance, Online Programs

Abstract

Community mentorship demonstrates benefits for adolescents of color at risk for increased life challenges.  This research investigated participant-reported gains from an online mentoring program for male secondary school students initiated by Black male public school staff members. Researchers hypothesized (1) group members’ perceived confidence regarding life skills would increase, (2) qualitative responses would demonstrate increased self-efficacy regarding topics discussed in session, and (3) participants would be able to identify solutions to challenges faced by boys and men of color. Qualitative data provided some support for these hypotheses. Students detailed learned lessons and identified solutions to problems faced by members of their communities.

References

Aaron, D., & Stanford, F. (2021). Is obesity a manifestation of systemic racism? A ten‐point strategy for study and intervention. Journal of Internal Medicine, 290(2), 416-420. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13270

Abel, Y. (2012). African American fathers' involvement in their children's school-based lives. The Journal of Negro Education, 81(2), 162. https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.81.2.0162

Al-Bahrani, A. A., Buser, W., & Patel, D. (2020). Early causes of financial disquiet and the gender gap in financial literacy: Evidence from college students in the southeastern United States. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3535870

Al‐Bahrani, A., Weathers, J., & Patel, D. (2018). Racial differences in the returns to financial literacy education. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 53(2), 572-599. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12205

Arditti, J. A., & Savla, J. (2015). Parental incarceration and child trauma symptoms in single caregiver homes. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(3), 551-561. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9867-2

Carey, R. L. (2019). Am I smart enough? Will I make friends? And can I even afford it? Exploring the college-going dilemmas of Black and Latino adolescent boys. American Journal of Education, 125(3), 381-415. https://doi.org/10.1086/702740

Chen, E., Miller, G. E., Brody, G. H., & Lei, M. (2014). Neighbourhood poverty, college attendance, and diverging profiles of substance use and Allostatic load in rural African American youth. Clinical Psychological Science, 3(5), 675-685. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702614546639

Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310

Coles, R. L. (2009). Just doing what they got do. Journal of Family Issues, 30(10), 1311-1338. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513x09339290

Cooper, S. M., Brown, C., Metzger, I., Clinton, Y., & Guthrie, B. (2012). Racial discrimination and African American adolescents’ adjustment: Gender variation in family and community social support, promotive and protective factors. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(1), 15-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9608-y

Cooper, S. M., Smalls-Glover, C., Metzger, I., & Griffin, C. (2015). African American fathers' racial socialization patterns: Associations with racial identity beliefs and discrimination experiences. Family Relations, 64(2), 278-290. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12115

Copeland-Linder, N., Lambert, S. F., Chen, Y., & Ialongo, N. S. (2011). Contextual stress and health risk behaviours among African American adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(2), 158-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-010-9520-y

Dallaire, D. H., Zeman, J. L., & Thrash, T. M. (2014). Children's experiences of maternal incarceration-specific risks: Predictions to psychological maladaptation. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 44(1), 109-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.913248

Davidson, M. N. (2001). Know Thine Adversary: The Impact of Race on Styles of Dealing with Conflict. Sex Roles, 45.

Davis, R. N., Caldwell, C. H., Clark, S. J., & Davis, M. M. (2009). Depressive symptoms in Non-resident African American fathers and involvement with their sons. Paediatrics, 124(6), 1611-1618. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-0718

Feagin, J., & Bennefield, Z. (2014). Systemic racism and U.S. health care. Social Science & Medicine, 103, 7-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.006

Fitzpatrick, K. M., Dulin, A. J., & Piko, B. F. (2007). Not just pushing and shoving: School bullying among African American adolescents. Journal of School Health, 77(1), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00157.x

Garney, W., Wilson, K., Ajayi, K. V., Panjwani, S., Love, S. M., Flores, S., Garcia, K., & Esquivel, C. (2021). Social-ecological barriers to access to healthcare for adolescents: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4138. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084138

Glaze, L. E., & Marushack, L. M. (2008). Parents in prison and their minor children. Psyc EXTRA Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/e513862010-001

GW Today. (2019). New study highlights disparity in Black financial literacy. GW Today. https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/new-study-highlights-disparity-black-financial-literacy

Hamilton, D., & Darity, W. A. (2017). The political economy of education, financial literacy, and the racial wealth gap. Review, 99(1), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.20955/r.2017.59-76

Huerta, A. H., McDonough, P. M., & Allen, W. R. (2018). “You can go to college”: Employing a developmental perspective to examine how young men of colour construct a college-going identity. The Urban Review, 50(5), 713-734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-018-0466-9

Hurd, N. M., Sellers, R. M., Cogburn, C. D., Butler-Barnes, S. T., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2013). Racial identity and depressive symptoms among Black emerging adults: The moderating effects of neighbourhood racial composition. Developmental Psychology, 49(5), 938-950. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028826

Inzer, L. D., & Crawford, C. B. (2005). A review of formal and informal mentoring. Journal of Leadership Education, 4(1), 31-50. https://doi.org/10.12806/v4/i1/tf2

Jennings, L. (2014). Do men need empowering too? A systematic review of entrepreneurial education and Microenterprise development on health disparities among inner-city Black male youth. Journal of Urban Health, 91(5), 836-850. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9898-z

Kelly, D. D., & Dixon, M. A. (2014). Successfully navigating life transitions among African American male student-athletes: A review and examination of constellation mentoring as a promising strategy. Journal of Sport Management, 28(5), 498-514. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2012-0320

Kochman, T. (1983). Black and white styles in conflict. University of Chicago Press.

Kumanyika, S. K., Whitt-Glover, M. C., & Haire-Joshu, D. (2014). What works for obesity prevention and treatment in Black Americans? Research directions. Obesity Reviews, 15, 204-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12213

Lynch, R. G., & Oakford, P. (2014). The economic benefits of closing educational achievement gaps: Promoting growth and strengthening the nation by improving the educational outcomes of children of colour. Centre for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-economic-benefits-of-closing-educational-achievement-gaps/

McNulty, C. P., & Roseboro, D. L. (2009). “I'm not really that bad”: Alternative school students, stigma, and identity politics. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(4), 412-427. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680903266520

Means, D. R., Clayton, A. B., Conzelmann, J. G., Baynes, P., & Umbach, P. D. (2016). Bounded aspirations: Rural, African American high school students and college access. The Review of Higher Education, 39(4), 543-569. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2016.0035

Miller, D. B., & Bennett, M. D. (2011). Special issue: Challenges, disparities and experiences of African American males. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(3), 265-268. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731510393985

Miller, G. E., Yu, T., Chen, E., & Brody, G. H. (2015). Self-control forecasts better psychosocial outcomes but faster epigenetic aging in low-SES youth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(33), 10325-10330. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1505063112

Monks, C. P., Smith, P. K., & Swettenham, J. (2005). Psychological correlates of peer victimisation in preschool: Social cognitive skills, executive function and attachment profiles. Aggressive Behaviour, 31(6), 571-588. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20099

Monks, C. P., & Smith, P. K. (2006). Definitions of bullying: Age differences in understanding of the term, and the role of experience. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24(4), 801-821. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005x82352

Moore, J. L., Henfield, M. S., & Owens, D. (2008). African American males in special education: Their attitudes and perceptions toward high school counsellors and school counselling services. American Behavioural Scientist, 51(7), 907-927. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764207311997

Mullen, C. A., & Klimaitis, C. C. (2019). Defining mentoring: A literature review of issues, types, and applications. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1483(1), 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14176

Neblett, E. W., Smalls, C. P., Ford, K. R., Nguyên, H. X., & Sellers, R. M. (2009). Racial socialization and racial identity: African American parents’ messages about race as precursors to identity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(2), 189-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9359-7

Needham, C. R. (2009). A phenomenological study of Detroit inner city youth entrepreneurship programs. University of Phoenix ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Noguera, P., Hurtado, A., & Fergus, E. (2013). Invisible no more: Understanding the disenfranchisement of Latino men and boys. Routledge.

Peleg-Oren, N., Cardenas, G. A., Comerford, M., & Galea, S. (2010). An association between bullying behaviours and alcohol use among middle school students. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 32(6), 761-775. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431610387144

Pettit, B. (2012). Invisible men: Mass incarceration and the myth of Black progress. Russell Sage Foundation.

Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. G., Farrington, D. P., Diamond, B., & Gonzalez, J. M. (2016). A meta-analysis update on the effectiveness of early self-control improvement programs to improve self-control and reduce delinquency. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 12(2), 249-264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-016-9257-z

Ranzetta, T. (2020). How many states require students to take a personal finance course before graduating from high school? Next Gen Personal Finance.

Reid, M. J., & Moore, J. L. (2008). College readiness and academic preparation for postsecondary education. Urban Education, 43(2), 240-261.

Reisman, K. (1983) Thomas Kochman, Black and white styles in conflict. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981. Pp. vi + 177. Language in Society, 12(4), 521–527. doi:10.1017/S0047404500010265

Saracho, O. N. (2016). Bullying prevention strategies in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(4), 453-460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0793-y

Shlafer, R. J., Poehlmann, J., Coffino, B., & Hanneman, A. (2009). Mentoring children with incarcerated parents: Implications for research, practice, and policy. Family Relations, 58(5), 507-519.

Seals, D., & Young, J. (2003). Bullying and victimization: prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression.

Shapiro, T., Meschede, T., & Osoro, S. (2014). The widening racial wealth gap: Why wealth is not colour blind. The Assets Perspective, 99-122.

Sánchez, B., Mroczkowski, A. L., Liao, L. C., Cooper, A. C., Rivera, C., & DuBois, D. L. (2017). Mentoring as a mediator or moderator of the association between racial discrimination and coping efficacy in urban, low-income Latina/o youth. American Journal of Community Psychology, 59(1-2), 15-24. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12114

Thistle, S. (2006). From marriage to the market: The transformation of women's lives and work. University of California Press.

Toney, S., Light, J., & Urbaczewski, A. (2021). Fighting Zoom fatigue: Keeping the Zombies at Bay. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 48, 40-46. https://doi.org/10.17705/1cais.04806

U.S. Department of Education, National Centre for Education Statistics. (1998). Involvement of non-resident fathers. U.S. Government Printing Office.

Wakefield, S., & Wildeman, C. (2011). Mass imprisonment and racial disparities in childhood behavioural problems. Criminology & Public Policy, 10(3), 791-792. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2011.00741.x

Wang, J., & Shibayama, S. (2022). Mentorship and creativity: Effects of mentor creativity and mentoring style. Research Policy, 51(3), 104451.

Will, J. L., Whalen, M. L., & Loper, A. B. (2014). From one generation to the next: Childhood experiences of antisocial behaviour and parental incarceration among adult inmates. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 53(3), 190-210.

Wittrup, A. R., Hussain, S. B., Albright, J. N., Hurd, N. M., Varner, F. A., & Mattis, J. S. (2016). Natural mentors, racial pride, and academic engagement among Black adolescents. Youth & Society, 51(4), 463-483.

Younan, B. (2019). A systematic review of bullying definitions: How definition and format affect study outcome. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 11(2), 109-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/jacpr-02-2018-0347

Downloads

Published

2024-09-30

How to Cite

Hintz, H., Freeman, M., Bundy, M. B., Botts, T., & James, R. (2024). Self-Reported Perspectives from Participants in a Middle/High School Virtual Mentoring Program for Students of Color. International Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences, 2(5), 277–296. https://doi.org/10.59890/ijeps.v2i5.2402