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Midsection of african american father and son sitting on couch in living room holding hands.

Nurturing Bonds: The Link Between Caregiver Attachment and Mentorship Among Black Teens

Reference: Charity-Parker, B. M., Negrete, A., Deutsch, N. L., & Hurd, N. M. (2023). A Mixed Method Investigation of Associations Between Caregiver Attachment and Natural Mentoring Relationships Among Black Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 07435584231189213. Summarized by: Ellen Parry Luff About the Study Through natural mentoring we can see how informal bonds formed with caring […]

“We Make a Life by What We Give”: The Impact of a High School Mentoring Program on the Perceptions and Academic Achievement of Black Males.

Ross, B. R.(2022). “We Make a Life by What We Give”: The Impact of a High School Mentoring Program on the Perceptions and Academic Achievement of Black Males. (Doctoral Dissertation, University of South Carolina). Scholar Commons. Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  There is a shortage of support from interventions (e.g., mentoring) that foster post-secondary planning […]

Race, Racism, and Relationships: What Matters for Teens’ Mental Health?

By Jessica Stern, Reprinted from YouthNEX Think back to your teenage years: Was it a happy time in your life, or did you struggle with feelings of depression? Did you lean on your close friends or family members for support, or did you deal with your feelings by yourself? And did you ever experience racial […]

Black Children and Adolescents Can Achieve Greater Heights With Research-informed Policies and Practices

By Mavis Sanders, Joy Thompson, Kristen Harper, Reprinted from Child Trends Racial disparities in many indicators of child well-being (e.g., school suspension, suicide, exposure to violence, juvenile arrests) illustrate the need to improve Black children’s and adolescents’ experiences and outcomes across multiple domains, including education, health, child welfare, and criminal justice. However, to promote a […]

New study shows how mentors support the parent-adolescent relationship

Billingsley, J. T., Rivens, A. J., Charity-Parker, B. M., Chang, S. H., Garrett, S. L., Li, T., & Hurd, M. (2021). Familial Mentor Support and Black Youths’ Connectedness to Parents Across Adolescence. Youth & Society, 0044118X211058215.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X211058215 Summarized by Ariel Ervin   Notes of Interest: Many Black adolescents undergo various developmental changes while experiencing risk factors commonly […]

What factors correlate with Black youth intimate disclosure? New study has answers!

Rivens, A. J., Billingsley, J. T., & Hurd, N. M. (2021). Understanding Factors Associated With Intimate Disclosure Between Black Youth and Nonparental Familial Adults. Journal of Research on Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12682 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: While youth undergo developmental changes during adolescence, many of them simultaneously become more interested in exploring their identities and […]

New case study explores fictive kinship in a Black adolescent’s natural mentoring relationship

Scott, E. D., & Deutsch, N. L. (2021). Conferring Kinship: Examining Fictive Kinship Status in a Black Adolescent’s Natural Mentoring Relationship. Journal of Black Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984211002613 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Although researchers are interested in understanding how youth create and maintain natural mentorships, little is known about youths’ experiences within these relationships. This […]

Do some mentoring models send the wrong message to marginalized youth?

By: Bernadette Sánchez, PhD, Reprinted from National Mentoring Resource Center Editor’s Note: Several members of the NMRC Research Board participated in the 2017 National Mentoring Summit this past February, leading a research track that featured OJJDP-funded research and totaled 13 workshops across the multi-day event. We asked several Research Board members to share their key […]