The Role of Character Attributes in Building Adult-Youth Connections
Anglin P. Thevaraja, Kira Chontow, Elaine Les, Elyse Postlewaite, Alexis Nager, Miriam R. Linver, & Jennifer Brown Urban
Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation, 2024
The need for strong adult-youth connections is crucial given the social and emotional needs of youth in today's world.
These connections provide essential support and foster youth resilience (King et al., 2021).
Positive adult attributes, such as honesty, encourage youth to seek support (Sieving et al., 2017). Negative attributes, such as disrespect, deter youth from seeking guidance (Buehler et al., 2020).
Understanding the dynamics of adult attributes is vital for strengthening adult-youth connections. These connections are foundational for the success of youth development programs (Raposa et al., 2016).
Research Hypotheses:
Youth who perceive positive attributes in the adult leaders in their youth organization will report more positive connections (Sieving et al., 2017).
Youth who perceive negative attributes in the adult leaders in their youth organization will report fewer positive connections (Buehler et al., 2020).
Method
Data were collected via semi-structured interviews in Spring 2019 from 109 participants (aged 11-18) involved in Scouts BSA, as part of a larger research project.
Participants were predominantly White (70%) and male (85%).
Using Nvivo software, thematic analysis was conducted with 8 coders. 49 different themes were identified, with 4 overarching categories.
Results
Positive attributes were positively associated with perceived connection (β = 0.64, p = 0.026).
Negative attributes were also positively associated with connection (β = 0.29, p = 0.001).
So what does this mean?
Aligning with prior research (Rhodes et al., 2005; Scales et al., 2011), positive attributes like trustworthiness and patience enhanced adult-youth connections.
Unexpectedly, negative attributes like unfairness also enhanced perceived connection.
Possible reasons: Methodological
Single-reporter method
Shared method variance
Possible reasons: Other
Misinterpretation of negative interactions as a form of engagement
Prior relationship with adult could enhance connection
Exposure to multiple leaders with positive attributes outweighs leaders with negative attributes
Implications
Implementing training programs for adult leaders that emphasize positive attributes could enhance youth engagement and development outcomes within youth programs.
Selecting and training mentors who not only demonstrate positive character attributes but also strive to actively engage with youth in meaningful ways is important.
As programs aim to enhance their efficacy, focusing on fostering these qualities in mentors could lead to more effective youth development outcomes.
Funding for this study was provided by a grant from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Grant #8325 through a sub-award from Boy Scouts of America.
