•
A 1995 study
found that mentored youth were less likely to engage in violence
and drug use, are more likely to attend school and improve academically,
and have healthier social relationships (Tierney, Grossman, &
Resch), “Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers/Big
Sisters.” Public/Private Ventures.
•
The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2000), the
largest survey of adolescence ever completed in America reports
“the connection to a caring adult other than a parent was
found to be one of the highest rated protective factors for youth.”
•
Manheimer reports that intergenerational projects generate
increased tolerance, comfort, and intimacy between generations
and dispel negative stereotypes of aging and old age. “Generations
Learning Together,” in Intergenerational Approaches in Aging:
Implications for Education, Policy and Practice, Hawthorne Press,
1997, pp. 79-91.
•
Larkin, Newman, and Manheimer (1997) report that intergenerational
programs build common bonds between generations by facilitating
the discovery of shared life themes, challenges, and problems.
Intergenerational Studies: A Multidisciplinary Field, Journal
of Gerontological Social Work.
•
American youth who completed an intergenerational course on aging
with a community-based service component had more positive perceptions
of older adults and more knowledge of aging than did students
in a comparison group (Knapp & Stubblefield, 2000) in “Changing
Students’ Perceptions of Aging: The Impact of an Intergenerational
Service Learning Course” in Educational Gerontology 26,
pp. 611-621.
•
Canadian school
children demonstrated enhanced literacy development following
an intergenerational mentoring program (Ellis, Small-McGinley
& Hart, 1998). Alberta Journal of Educational Research,
44(2), 149-162.
•
An evaluation of Family Friends, conducted by the Institute for
Human Development at the University of Missouri (Rinck, 1993),
revealed statistically significant positive changes with regard
to increases in the child’s social growth and self-esteem;
reduction in family stress, loneliness, and isolation; the parent’s
increase in free time; decrease in parental concern about the
child’s education, training, and behavior; and improved
family relationships.
•
Research funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of
the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (1996) found
that children who participated in Across Ages, an intergenerational
mentoring program, had more positive changes in knowledge and
reactions to drug use; significant decrease in alcohol and tobacco
use and attitudes, and behavior concerning substance abuse
and related life skills; decreased school suspensions; better
school grades and attendance than students who were not
in the full Across Ages program. The study also found that there
was significant improvement in attitudes toward school and the
future; significant improvement in attitudes towards adults in
general and older adults in particular; and improvement in personal
well-being. “Understanding Substance Abuse Prevention –
Toward the 21st Century: A Primer on Effective Programs,”
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, unpublished document.
•
Several studies indicate that involvement of youth in positive
social relationships and meaningful activities is associated with
a reduction in risky behavior and an increase in resiliency (Camino,
2000). Youth-Adult Partnerships: Entering New Territory in Community
Work and Research, Developmental Science, 4, 11-20.
•
Additional research by Harvard University’s Center for Society
and Health points to the importance of social connectedness. Researchers
indicate that social isolation is a chronically stressful condition
that has a direct biological effect on the body (Berkman, 1995).
Creating strong networks , promoting partnerships between youth
and adults, and developing social institutions that support the
creation of fulfilling experiences at each stage of life can improve
the social health of individuals and communities. Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation Quarterly Newsletter, Issue 3, 2000.
•
Preliminary research data (2002) conducted by the Center for Intergenerational
Learning’s Abuelas y Jovenes, a drug prevention and in-home
support program in which older women serve as mentors to Latina
pregnant and parenting teens, shows positive results in the areas
of less pregnancies; better school performance; better school
attendance; higher rates of high school graduation; more employment;
and finding satisfactory housing. Face-to-face interview with
Dr. Andrea Taylor, October 2002.
The
above studies were compiled by Intergenerational Strategies as
a public service.
