ERIC Number: EJ1474418
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Aug
Pages: 38
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-4316
EISSN: EISSN-1552-5449
Available Date: 0000-00-00
I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends: The Impact of a Gender-Tailored Group Mentoring Program on Peer Relationships
Jessica Bouchard1; Jennifer S. Wong1
Journal of Early Adolescence, v45 n7 p836-873 2025
Adolescents face many difficulties when transitioning to high school, particularly when it comes to their social circles and maintaining friendships. As these challenges can have long-term consequences, providing support to youth during this period is essential. The YWCA Youth Education Programs (YEP) in Vancouver, BC offer group-based, after-school mentoring programs for 7th grade students to help them navigate the transition to high school. Survey data from 668 students (233 treatment group and 435 control group) were used to examine the impacts of the YEP on friend support. Multilevel regression models show that the YEP is effective at improving perceptions of friend support in the long term. More research is needed to explore potential gender differences in the experience of supportive friendships after youth transition to high school, as well as the impact of group-based mentoring for youth transitioning to the high school environment.
Descriptors: Mentors, Peer Relationship, Gender Issues, After School Programs, Grade 7, Student Adjustment, Transitional Programs, Student Attitudes, Program Effectiveness, Foreign Countries, Gender Differences, Adolescents, Group Activities, Youth Agencies, Youth Programs
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 7; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada (Vancouver)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Simon Fraser University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Burnaby, BC, Canada