Autumn 2011.pub - Australian Youth Mentoring Network

Examining Natural
Mentoring
Relationships
among Self-
Identified Gay,
Bisexual, and
Questioning Male
Youth
Torres, Rodrigo S., Gary W. Harper, Bernadette
S a n c h e z , M . I s a b e l F e r n a n d e z . 2 0 1 1 .
“Examining Natural Mentoring Relationships
(NMRs) among Self- Identified Gay, Bisexual, and
Questioning (GBQ) Male Youth.” Children and
Youth Services Review, , in press.
Th is re s e a rch s e eks t o f ill a g a p i n m e nt o ri ng re s e a rch
and t hat is h o w n atura l-m e nt o ri ng re lat i on s hips (N MR )
affect at-ris k y o uth, e s p ec ia ll y t h os e wh o a r e s am e-s e x
attract ed yo uth (SSA).
Th e s t u d y gat hered d a t a from 9 7 m ale pa rt i cipa nts (14-
22 y ea rs o ld ) of Af r ic an A m eric an, L atino a nd E u ro pean
b ackground s in Ch icago a nd Mi am i. P a rticipants w e r e
s u rv e y ed on t he m ea nings t h e y attac hed t o N MR .
Th e N MR p ro v id es SS A yo uth a n o p p o rtunit y t o b e o p en
about t h ei r s e xu alit y a nd help c o nsolidat e t h ei r identit y .
Th e r es ea rc h found t h at s c hool b a s e d m en t o rs were t h e
m ost va lu ed adults i n t h e l i v es of S S A m a l e y o uth. Res
p on dents i dent ified a n umber o f areas t hat N MRs h a v e
p r ovid ed s u p po rt: em otiona l, i nf o rm ation al, s e lfapprais
al, and u nc on ditiona l. Th us, t h e a uthors conclu
de t hat f o rm alis ed m ent o r in g p r og ra m s could foc us
on t h e ab o v e m ent ioned t y p o logy of s u pp o rt for S S A
y out h.
“...school based
mentors were the
most valued adults
in the lives of SSA
male youth.
Respondents
identified a number
of areas that NMRs
have provided
support: emotional,
informational, selfappraisal,
and
unconditional…”
More research articles on youth mentoring can be found on the
AUSTRALIAN YOUTH MENTORING NETWORK Website
visit www.youthmentoring.org.au/Research.html
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