Steppin' Up: Positive Youth Development Program

Overview

As an antidote to juvenile aggression and violence, which has increased in recent years, group mentoring offers a viable alternative to intensive one-on-one mentoring. However, no group-mentoring programs have been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a school-based, group-mentoring intervention designed to prevent aggressive and deviant behavior among early adolescents. Study participants will be incoming 6th grade students from two inner-city Baltimore middle schools and their parents. Approximately 1,400 students and their parents are expected to participate. All 6th grade students in these schools are eligible for the study. Weekly student group-mentoring sessions are the principal component of this study. These groups will be held during the school day and will be designed to increase social skills and encourage academic engagement, restraint, and problem-solving. A master's level professional will direct and conduct these intervention activities, which will employ the use of field trips, cooperative games, discussion of real-life situations, and role playing. Students will also complete a 1-hour written survey each fall and spring from grades 6-8 about the program and about attitudes and behaviors related to school involvement and staying healthy and safe. Study staff will contact participants' teachers and review their past and current school records, including attendance, grades, and disciplinary information. Parents may be asked to participate in group meetings and will complete in-person or telephone interviews (about 20 minutes each) about similar information over a 3-year period (6th grade to 8th grade).

Group mentoring offers a potentially viable alternative to intensive one-on-one mentoring. However, no group mentoring programs have been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a school-based, group-mentoring intervention designed to prevent aggressive and deviant behavior among early adolescents. Two successive cohorts of incoming 6th grade students from two inner-city Baltimore middle schools and their parents will be randomized to comparison group or intervention group consisting of weekly group-mentoring sessions for youth and persuasive communication and small-group media-development projects for parents.