NCJ Number
151035
Editor(s)
R B Mincy
Date Published
1994
Length
253 pages
Annotation
This book provides an overview of youth-development programs that help families nurture young black males from high-risk environments.
Abstract
Contributors are from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, including economics, youth policy analysis, adolescent development, public welfare administration, and practice in the voluntary youth-service sector. The authors focus on African-American boys between 10 and 15 years old. Following the introduction, a chapter discusses the goals of adolescent development generally and the peculiar challenges that face young black males in the development process. Implications of these issues for social policy and program development are considered. The next chapter calls for a shift in thinking from problem reduction toward youth development. Following the two chapters on the services needed by black males between 10 and 15 years old, three chapters assess publicly and privately funded responses to these service needs. The programs reviewed suggest a variety of nonpunitive ways to compensate for the ecological barriers to healthy development faced by many young black males. The programs provide a structure that policymakers, youth-development practitioners, and private and corporate philanthropies can test, revise, and improve. In the final section of the book, contributors assess the most important challenges affecting youth: social policy and funding. The concluding chapter draws on the previous chapters to offer recommendations to public and private agencies at national and local levels that desire to expand youth-development programs for black males. Chapter references, appended supplementary material, 12 tables, and 4 figures