Striving for safety, impact, and equity: A critical consideration of AJCP publications on formal youth mentoring programs.

In this virtual special issue (VSI) we curate and reflect upon 22 articles on formal youth mentoring previously published in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP). First, we provide historical context and highlight AJCP's 2002 special issue on mentoring, which played an important role in establishing youth mentoring as a vibrant area of research. Next, we review and discuss findings from subsequent AJCP studies in three interrelated lines of inquiry: (1) the importance of facilitating high-quality mentoring relationships; (2) associations among youth's presenting needs, relationship quality, and outcomes; and (3) program practices leading to stronger, more impactful relationships. Throughout, we highlight and expand upon critical commentary from AJCP contributors, calling on the field to move away from paternalistic models that overly localize risk with youth and families without interrogating structural oppression. Our recommendations include: (1) centering critical consciousness, racial equity, and social justice in program curricula and mentor trainings; (2) respectfully engaging grassroots programs developed for and by communities of color that are underrepresented in research; (3) making meaningful efforts to recruit mentors from marginalized communities and removing barriers to their participation; and (4) examining youth's racial, ethnic, and other areas of identity development processes during mentoring.

Natural mentoring among college students of color: Considerations for their ethnic-racial identity and psychological well-being.

This study examined: (a) the roles of ethnic-racial similarity between mentors and mentees and mentors' support for ethnic-racial identity (ERI) in mentees' ERI private regard, (b) the roles of ethnic-racial similarity and ERI support in mentees' psychological well-being, and (c) the indirect effects of ethnic-racial similarity and ERI support on psychological well-being via private regard. Participants were 231 college students of color who completed a survey and reported having a natural mentor. Path analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized model. More support for ERI was significantly associated with higher private regard and higher self-esteem. Higher ethnic-racial similarity was significantly related to higher psychological distress and higher self-esteem. An indirect effect was found between ERI support and ethnic-racial similarity and psychological well-being via private regard. The findings fill a gap in the literature on ethnic-racial processes in mentoring critical to the development of college students of color.

The Roles of Cultural Mistrust and Mentoring in Latinx Adolescents' Attitudes Toward School.

Using the frameworks of Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and an integrative model of developmental competencies, this study examined the roles of cultural mistrust toward education and natural mentoring relationship quality in the academic outcomes of Latinx adolescents. Participants were 294 Latinx students (52.9% female; mean age 15 years in 9th grade; 21% first-generation, 63% second-generation, and 6% third-generation immigrants) who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grades. The negative effect of cultural mistrust on educational aspirations was greater for students who had poorer quality mentoring relationships. This study addresses gaps in the literature related to cultural mistrust as a coping strategy and discusses the ways in which mentors can serve a protective role.

Everyday Acts of Resistance: Mexican, Undocumented Immigrant Children and Adolescents Navigating Oppression With Mentor Support.

Study aims were to examine oppression in education among Mexican immigrant youth with undocumented status and how mentors and other adults helped them resist oppression. Qualitative, narrative one-on-one interviews were conducted with 17 Mexican immigrant young adults with undocumented or DACA status in the U.S. Participants provided retrospective accounts from childhood through older adolescence. Analyses revealed critical junctures in which participants experienced oppression: (1) developmental milestones and school events, (2) college application process, (3) unforeseen life events, and (4) incidents of racial discrimination. Mentors and other adults helped participants to resist oppression through advocacy, social capital efforts, role modeling, and emotional, instrumental, and financial support. This study fills gaps in the literature on mentoring and immigrant youth who are undocumented.

The structural violence of DACA and youth resistance.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined how youth who have received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) experience structural violence and their responses to that violence. METHOD: Participants included 20 Latinx individuals, between the ages of 16 and 29, who migrated to the U.S. before age 16. The majority held DACA status. In-depth qualitative, narrative interviews were conducted with each participant. RESULTS: Narratives revealed multiple ways that DACA youth experience structural violence, including (a) challenges with the application process, (b) the financial burden created by the lack of access to federal financial aid for higher education, and (c) fears surrounding DACA. Youth responded to structural violence via (a) paying it forward, (b) radical hope, (c) social support, and (d) undocumented pride. CONCLUSIONS: Narratives demonstrate the ways in which young people experience structural violence despite the benefits of DACA and how some resist this violence. Implications for a legislative pathway to citizenship are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A Pilot Evaluation of a Social Justice and Race Equity Training for Volunteer Mentors.

Mentor training on cultural humility is an area of needed support in formal youth mentoring relationships. This pilot study used an experimental design to examine the role of a social justice and race equity training on volunteer mentors' cognitive and affective outcomes related to cultural humility in mentoring. The sample included 99 volunteer mentors paired with adolescent mentees in an established formal mentoring program. Mentors predominantly identified as White (89%), and the majority (72%) were paired with youth of color. Participants were randomly assigned to either the training or control condition. Findings from intention-to-treat analyses indicated that training group participants (n = 49) exhibited greater increases in self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support over time than participants in the control group (n = 50). As-treated analyses indicated that training attendees (n = 23) exhibited greater increases in self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support over time than participants who did not attend the training (n = 76). Results indicated no significant changes over time in participants' training content knowledge, awareness of racial privilege, ethnocultural empathy, or social justice interest and behavioral intentions. Analyses also indicated an attendance bias within the training condition, such that mentors who attended the training reported significantly more awareness of racial privilege, social justice interest, and social justice behavioral intentions compared to training condition mentors who were invited but did not attend the training. Implications for training volunteer mentors within formal mentoring programs are discussed.

Latinx adolescents' trust in adults: A precursor to psychological well-being via mentoring relational quality and self-esteem.

This study aimed to test a longitudinal model of trust in adults and psychological well-being among Latinx adolescents, a population that has received little attention in the trust literature. The participants were urban, low-income Latinx (N = 294) students at two urban, Midwestern high schools who indicated they had at least one natural mentor in 9th grade. Participants completed surveys at two-time points, in 9th and 10th grade, and responded to measures of their feelings toward adults, quality of their natural mentoring relationships, self-esteem, intrinsic academic motivation, and coping self-efficacy. More trust in adults was indirectly, but not directly, associated with higher coping self-efficacy via higher mentoring relational quality and self-esteem. Positive expectations of adults may open Latinx youth to closeness in natural mentoring relationships and positive self-perceptions, which may, in turn, bolster coping ability.

Historically underrepresented college students and institutional natural mentors: An ecological analysis of the development of these relationships at predominantly White institutions.

Despite studies examining outcomes associated with having a natural mentoring relationship with an institutional agent in a higher education setting, few studies have investigated the formation of these relationships among historically underrepresented college students. Institutional agents refer to any instructor, staff, or administrator on the college campus. This cross-sectional study used an ecological approach to explore the factors associated with natural mentoring relationships between historically underrepresented college students and institutional agents. Participants were 521 college students (75% female, Mage = 20.27) across two predominantly White institutions. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that older age, more positive help-seeking attitudes toward adults, stronger instructor relationships, having an off-campus mentor, and a higher sense of belonging on campus were associated with having an institutional natural mentor. Findings from this study contribute to the growing area of research on mentoring relationships of historically underrepresented college students. Implications are discussed.

Emerging Adults' Social Justice Engagement: Motivations, Barriers, and Social Identity.

This study examines emerging adults' perceived motivations and barriers to social justice engagement, and how their social identities shape involvement. We conducted in-depth interviews with service-learning students (n = 30). Thematic analysis of interview data revealed that participants perceived several motivations and barriers to engagement, including the following: (a) the current political climate, (b) self-efficacy to make small-scale changes, (c) social support in action, (d) proximity to the social issue, (e) knowledge of resources, and (f) limited personal resources. Participants also described how their identities shaped engagement such that participants reflected upon their multiple privileged and marginalized identities and how their identities influenced their approach to engaging with a particular social issue. Findings have implications for recruiting and sustaining emerging adults' involvement in activities aimed at changing social issues.

Act, Talk, Reflect, Then Act: The Role of Natural Mentors in The Critical Consciousness of Ethnically/Racially Diverse College Students.

The current mixed-method study examined the role of natural mentors in the cyclical process of college students' sociopolitical development, particularly their critical consciousness. College students (N = 145) completed surveys at two time points over a one-year period. Path analyses indicated that critical action and perceived inequalities were significantly associated with more social justice conversations with mentors and that having more social justice conversations with mentors was significantly associated with more critical action and perceived inequality. Further, mentoring conversations and sociopolitical efficacy helped to explain the positive role of perceived inequality and action on later attitudes around perceived inequalities and critical action. Qualitative one-on-one interviews of a subset of participants (n = 30) expanded findings from the quantitative data and revealed detailed information about how mentors supported youth critical consciousness. Specifically, mentors engaged in 1) dialogue and reflection, 2) information and resource sharing, 3) nonjudgmental, comfortable conversations, and 4) role modeling. Findings inform the iterative nature of critical consciousness and on how older adolescents leverage support from natural mentors in this process.

Predictors of natural mentoring relationships and students' adjustment to college.

Little research exists that examines natural mentoring relationships (NMRs) during the college transition. We examine the role of parental attachment and help-seeking behaviors in students' development of new NMRs and the role NMRs have on students' outcomes. Included in the study were 215 first-year students at a large, urban, private university. Participants completed surveys at the beginning (Time 1) and at the end (Time 2) of the school year. We used structural equation modeling to test a hypothesized model that included predictors (i.e., attachment to parents and help-seeking behaviors) of NMRs and social and academic adjustment in college. Findings show a path relationship connecting the attachment to parents to help-seeking behaviors, and then to the number of reported NMRs. Help-seeking behaviors mediated the association between attachment and NMRs. The number of NMRs is associated with higher social adjustment, but not academic adjustment by the end of students' first year of college. Based on these results, we discuss the theoretical implications of newly formed NMRs and provide guidance for institutional interventions targeting first-year college students to assist with transition challenges.

"Do mentor support for ethnic-racial identity and mentee cultural mistrust matter for girls of color? A preliminary investigation": Correction to Sánchez et al. (2019).

Reports an error in "Do mentor support for ethnic-racial identity and mentee cultural mistrust matter for girls of color? A preliminary investigation" by Bernadette Sánchez, Julia Pryce, Naida Silverthorn, Kelsey L. Deane and David L. DuBois (Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Advanced Online Publication, Oct 01, 2018, np). In this article, all the authors were listed as being affiliated with DePaul University, but only Bernadette Sánchez is affiliated with DePaul University. The other authors were at the following affiliations while the work for the article was completed: Julia Pryce, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago; Naida Silverthorn, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago; Kelsey L. Deane, Department of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland; and David L. DuBois, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago. All versions of this article have been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2018-48484-001.) Objectives: The aim of this repeated-measures study was to examine the roles of cultural mistrust and perceived mentor support for ethnic-racial identity in a sample of girls of color. It was hypothesized that mentors' support for ethnic-racial identity measured at baseline would influence relationship quality, as well as the girls' ethnic identity and cultural mistrust, at the end of the intervention, adjusting for baseline measures. It was also hypothesized that girls' cultural mistrust toward Whites at baseline would be negatively associated with mentoring relationship quality at the end of the intervention. METHOD: Participants were 40 adolescent girls of color who were matched with racially-ethnically diverse women mentors in a community-based mentoring program. RESULTS: Mentor support for ethnic-racial identity as reported by youth significantly predicted relative increases in youth reports of relational but not instrumental satisfaction. Higher mentor support for ethnic-racial identity also significantly predicted increases in ethnic identity exploration, but only among girls with White mentors. Further, youth's reported greater cultural mistrust toward Whites was a significant predictor of decreased instrumental relationship satisfaction among girls with White mentors. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the importance of further efforts to understand the roles of culturally relevant relationship processes and youth attitudes in mentoring interventions for girls of color. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Do mentor support for ethnic-racial identity and mentee cultural mistrust matter for girls of color? A preliminary investigation.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported online in Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology on Jul 18 2019 (see record 2019-41300-001). In this article, all the authors were listed as being affiliated with DePaul University, but only Bernadette Sánchez is affiliated with DePaul University. The other authors were at the following affiliations while the work for the article was completed: Julia Pryce, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago; Naida Silverthorn, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago; Kelsey L. Deane, Department of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland; and David L. DuBois, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago. All versions of this article have been corrected.] Objectives: The aim of this repeated-measures study was to examine the roles of cultural mistrust and perceived mentor support for ethnic-racial identity in a sample of girls of color. It was hypothesized that mentors' support for ethnic-racial identity measured at baseline would influence relationship quality, as well as the girls' ethnic identity and cultural mistrust, at the end of the intervention, adjusting for baseline measures. It was also hypothesized that girls' cultural mistrust toward Whites at baseline would be negatively associated with mentoring relationship quality at the end of the intervention. METHOD: Participants were 40 adolescent girls of color who were matched with racially-ethnically diverse women mentors in a community-based mentoring program. RESULTS: Mentor support for ethnic-racial identity as reported by youth significantly predicted relative increases in youth reports of relational but not instrumental satisfaction. Higher mentor support for ethnic-racial identity also significantly predicted increases in ethnic identity exploration, but only among girls with White mentors. Further, youth's reported greater cultural mistrust toward Whites was a significant predictor of decreased instrumental relationship satisfaction among girls with White mentors. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the importance of further efforts to understand the roles of culturally relevant relationship processes and youth attitudes in mentoring interventions for girls of color. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Natural Mentoring, Academic Motivation, and Values Toward Education Among Latinx Adolescents.

We examined the roles of relational and instrumental relationship quality with natural mentors and academic intrinsic motivation on Latinx adolescents' perceived economic values of education. Participants were 256 Latinx youth (M = 15.07 years old; 116 boys, 140 girls) who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grades. Path analyses indicated significant cross-sectional effects in 9th grade such that instrumental quality was associated with more perceived benefits of education, and relational quality was associated with fewer perceived limitations of education. Neither instrumental nor relational quality in 9th grade was associated with either benefits or limitations of education in 10th grade. Instrumental relationship quality in 9th grade, however, did have an indirect effect on perceived benefits of education in 10th grade through intrinsic motivation. Implications for research on natural mentoring with Latinx adolescents are discussed.

Synthesis and Characterization of Tris(trimethylsilyl)siloxide Derivatives of Early Transition Metal Alkoxides That Thermally Convert to Varied Ceramic-Silica Architecture Materials.

In an effort to generate single-source precursors for the production of metal-siloxide (MSiO x) materials, the tris(trimethylsilyl)silanol (H-SST or H-OSi(SiMe3)3 (1) ligand was reacted with a series of group 4 and 5 metal alkoxides. The group 4 products were crystallographically characterized as [Ti(SST)2(OR)2] (OR = OPr i (2), OBu t (3), ONep (4)); [Ti(SST)3(OBu n)] (5); [Zr(SST)2(OBu t)2(py)] (6); [Zr(SST)3(OR)] (OR = OBu t (7), ONep, (8)); [Hf(SST)2(OBu t)2] (9); and [Hf(SST)2(ONep)2(py) n] ( n = 1 (10), n = 2 (10a)) where OPr i = OCH(CH3)2, OBu t = OC(CH3)3, OBu n = O(CH2)3CH3, ONep = OCH2C(CH3)3, py = pyridine. The crystal structures revealed varied SST substitutions for: monomeric Ti species that adopted a tetrahedral ( T-4) geometry; monomeric Zr compounds with coordination that varied from T-4 to trigonal bipyramidal ( TBPY-5); and monomeric Hf complexes isolated in a TBPY-5 geometry. For the group 5 species, the following derivatives were structurally identified as [V(SST)3(py)2] (11), [Nb(SST)3(OEt)2] (12), [Nb(O)(SST)3(py)] (13), 2[H][(Nb(µ-O)2(SST))6(µ6-O)] (14), [Nb8O10(OEt)18(SST)2·1/5Na2O] (15), [Ta(SST)(µ-OEt)(OEt)3]2 (16), and [Ta(SST)3(OEt)2] (17) where OEt = OCH2CH3. The group 5 monomeric complexes were solved in a TBPY-5 arrangement, whereas the Ta of the dinculear 16 was solved in an octahedral coordination environment. Thermal analyses of these precursors revealed a stepwise loss of ligand, which indicated their potential utility for generating the MSiO x materials. The complexes were thermally processed (350-1100 °C, 4 h, ambient atmosphere), but instead of the desired MSiO x, transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that fractions of the group 4 and group 5 precursors had formed unusual metal oxide silica architectures.

Supporting adults to support youth: An evaluation of two social justice trainings.

The current research examined pre- and post survey data in two social justice trainings for adults who support youth, including staff and volunteers (Study 1, N = 44) at youth-serving organizations and adults who mentor young Black men and boys (Study 2, N = 72). We investigate whether training participants' self-report scores of cultural competences (studies 1 and 2), self-efficacy for race equity (Study 1) and racial self-efficacy to support mentee (Study 2) changed between the beginning of the training and after the training. Furthermore, we examine whether the changes depend upon whether training participants share cultural background with the youth with whom they work. In Study 1, findings indicated that training participants reported significantly increased scores of cultural sensitivity and self-efficacy for race equity. Individuals who were not first-generation college students saw higher increases in sociopolitical awareness. In Study 2, participants reported significantly higher scores of cultural sensitivity and racial self-efficacy to support their mentees. Furthermore, non-Black and women participants showed greater increases in self-efficacy than Black and male participants. These results fill a gap in the literature on the potential role of social justice trainings to increase cultural competencies among adults who work with diverse youth.

The Perceived Payoff of Education: Do Generational Status and Racial Discrimination Matter?

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among racial discrimination, generational status, and perceptions of the economic value of education among Latina/o youth. Participants were 400 urban, low-income, Latina/o students from a large Midwestern U.S. city who completed surveys in both 9th and 10th grades. Results revealed that more perceived racial discrimination was associated with more perceived economic limitations of education. When analyzed by generational status, more racial discrimination in 9th grade was significantly related to lower perceived economic value of education in 10th grade for third-generation and later participants, but not for first- or second-generation participants. The results provide evidence for the diverse experiences of racial discrimination and perceived economic value of education across generational groups.

Mentoring as a Mediator or Moderator of the Association between Racial Discrimination and Coping Efficacy in Urban, Low-Income Latina/o Youth.

The aim of this study was to examine the associations among mentoring relationship quality (i.e., relational and instrumental quality), racial discrimination and coping efficacy with racial discrimination. Three social support models were tested, including the stress buffering, support mobilization, and support deterioration models. Participants were 257 urban, low-income Latina/o high school students, who completed surveys in both 9th and 10th grades. While controlling for gender and coping efficacy with discrimination in 9th grade, results supported the social support deterioration model. Specifically, there was a significant indirect effect of racial discrimination in 9th grade on coping efficacy in 10th grade through instrumental mentoring quality. As racial discrimination increased, mentoring quality decreased and then coping efficacy decreased. We also found that more racial discrimination in 9th grade was significantly associated with lower coping efficacy in 10th grade, and higher instrumental mentoring quality in 9th grade was significantly associated with higher coping efficacy in 10th grade, while controlling for gender and coping efficacy in 9th grade. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The Roles of Racial Discrimination, Cultural Mistrust, and Gender in Latina/o Youth's School Attitudes and Academic Achievement.

Gender gaps in achievement are particularly pronounced among Latina/os, who are among the population most affected by the academic achievement gap. This study examined the roles of racial discrimination, cultural mistrust, and economic value of education in the academic achievement of urban, low-income Latina/o adolescents. Participants were 346 high school students. Structural equation modeling revealed that the model of associations was a better fit for male students than for female students. Cultural mistrust mediated the relationship between racial discrimination and values of education, and perceived limitations of education predicted lower attendance rates for male students but not for female students. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.

A Vision for the Future of Community Psychology Education and Training.

As we reflect on the founding vision of the field of community psychology in the United States, we assess our progress toward achieving, building upon, and refining this vision. We review early literature regarding the US vision of the field, provide a historical overview of education and training within the field, and provide recommendations to guide and strengthen our approach to education. Our recommendations include the following: 1) serve as a resource to communities, 2) promote a sense of community within our field, 3) diversify students, faculty, and leadership, 4) evaluate our efforts, 5) be current and relevant, 6) enhance the visibility and growth of our field, and 7) create globally minded and innovative CPists. We provide strategies for programs, faculty, linkages between researchers and practitioners, and the Society for Community Research and Action. We conclude that community psychology education and training continues to reflect the early vision; however, we believe we must make more intentional efforts to align with the mission and values of the field, and to engage in a critical analysis of our pedagogy. Enhancing and growing undergraduate and graduate education can facilitate the achievement of our goals to promote social justice, prevent and address social problems, and build community connections to become more effective, impactful, and global social change agents.