Date of Award

6-1-2012

Document Type

Campus Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Jean E. Rhodes

Second Advisor

Laurel Wainwright

Third Advisor

Abbey Eisenhower

Abstract

This study examines the influence of participating in same versus cross-gender mentoring relationships on mentoring processes and outcomes for adolescent boys in formal school-based programs. Although assigned mentoring relationships have typically involved same gender matches, a growing number of programs are pairing female mentors with male mentees. This practice stems, in large part, from the relative dearth of male mentors and programs' efforts to increase the availability of youth mentoring to young males on waiting lists. Drawing on secondary data from the Department of Education (N=1,022) and Big Brother Big Sisters (N=491) school-based mentoring programs, findings from this study indicate few systematic relationship process and youth outcome differences between youth in same and cross-gender matches.

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