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The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

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Program Description

Overview Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of America is a national mentoring program that matches at-risk youth (“Littles”) with older volunteer mentors (“Bigs”). The BBBS approach does not target or address any particular aspects of academics, prevention, or risk, but rather emphasizes continuity and consistency in mentor relationships.
Start Date 1904
Scope national
Type mentoring
Location urban and suburban
Setting other
Participants 6–18 year olds
Number of Sites/Grantees Approximately 400 agencies nationwide (2008–2009)
Number Served 250,000 (2008–2009)
Components The program pairs at-risk youth from poor, single-parent homes with older mentors who are generally well-educated young professionals. BBBS generally requires that matched pairs meet 2 to 4 times per month. In addition to its community-based mentoring, BBBS also runs some school-based mentoring programs in which both adults and high school students act as the Bigs.

All national affiliates (BBBS programs) are based on a uniform level of recruitment, mentor screening, matching, and continuous supervision and support of matched pairs. Local chapters must adopt standards with minor variations to accommodate local characteristics.
Funding Level Approximately $18.3 million (2009)
Funding Sources Numerous foundations, corporations, and individuals, as well as various government grants. Major funders (giving more than $1 million) in 2009 were: the Atlantic Philanthropies; Donald and Ana Carty; the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation; Philip Morris USA, an Altria Company; and the T. Boone Pickens Foundation.

Evaluation

Overview The evaluation aims to provide scientifically reliable evidence that participation in BBBS programs positively affects at-risk youth.
Evaluator Public/Private Ventures (P/PV)
Evaluations Profiled

Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters

Making a Difference in Schools: the Big Brothers Big Sisters  School-Based Mentoring Impact Study

Evaluations Planned none
Report Availability Grossman, J. B., & Tierney, J. P. (1998). Does mentoring work? An impact study of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Evaluation Review, 22(3), 402–425.

Rhodes, J. E., Grossman, J. B., & Resch, N. L. (2000). Agents of change: Pathways through which mentoring relationships influence adolescents’ academic adjustment. Child Development, 71, 1662–1671.

Tierney, J. P., Grossman, J. B., & Resch, N. L. (2000). Making a difference: An impact study of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures.  Available at: www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/111_publication.pdf

Grossman, J. B., & Rhodes, J. E. (2002). The test of time: Predictors and effects of duration in youth mentoring relationships. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30(2), 199–219.

Rhodes, J. E., Reddy, R., & Grossman, J. B. (2005). The protective influence of mentoring on adolescents’ substance use: Direct and indirect pathways. Applied Developmental Science, 9, 31–47.

Herrera, C., Grossman, J. B., Kauh, T. J., Feldman, A. F., & McMaken, J. (2007). Making a difference in schools: The Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring impact study. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures. Available at: www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/220_publication.pdf

Herrera, C., Kauh, T. J., Conney, S. M., Grossman, J. B., & McMaken, J. (2008). High school students as mentors: Findings from the Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring impact study. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures. Available at: www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/252_publication.pdf

Karcher, M. J., Herrera, C., & Hansen, K. (2010). “I dunno, what do you wanna do?”:  Testing a framework to guide mentor training and activity selection. New Directions for Youth Development,126, 51–69

Karcher, M. J., Davidson, A., Rhodes, J. E., & Herrera C. (2010). Pygmalion in the program: The role of teenage peer mentors' attitudes in shaping their mentees' outcomes.  Applied Developmental Science, 14, 212–227.

Herrera, C., Grossman J. B., Kauh, T. J., & McMaken, J. (2011). Mentoring in schools: An impact study of Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring. Child Development, 82(1), 346–361.

Schwartz, S. E. O., Rhodes, J. E., Chan, C. S., & Herrera, C. (in press). The impact of school-based mentoring on youth with different relational profiles. Developmental Psychology, 47(2), 450–462.

Contacts

Evaluation Jean Baldwin Grossman
Public/Private Ventures (P/PV)
2000 Market Street, Suite 900
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tel: 215-557-4400
Fax: 215-557-4469
Email: jgrossma@princeton.edu
Program Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
National Office
230 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Tel: 215-567-7000
Fax: 215-567-0394
Email: national@bbbsa.org
Profile Updated May 9, 2011

Evaluation 1: Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters


Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose To determine whether a one-to-one community-based mentoring experience made a tangible difference in the lives of participants in six broad areas of potential effects: antisocial activities, academic performance, attitudes and behaviors, relationships with family, relationships with friends, self-concept, and social and cultural enrichment.
Evaluation Design Experimental: Data were collected from eight BBBS sites: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Rochester, New York; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; Wichita, Kansas; Houston, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. The key selection criteria for site inclusion in the study were a large active caseload, a waiting list for program participation, and geographic diversity.

The study sample consisted of 10- to 16-year-olds who applied to programs at the eight BBBS study sites. A total of 1,138 youth qualified to take part in the study, of which 97% agreed to participate in the research. These youth were randomly assigned either to be matched to a Big (the treatment group) or to a waiting list for the BBBS program (the control group). The final sample on which findings are based included 959 youth (487 in the treatment group and 472 in the control group) who completed both baseline and follow-up interviews 18 months later (84% of the original randomized sample). Parents of these youth were also interviewed at baseline and follow-up. Of the 487 youth in the treatment group, 378 (78%) were successfully matched to mentors. The major reasons why youth were not matched to mentors were that there was no suitable mentor found, the youth no longer wanted to be matched, or the youth became ineligible for matching due to any number of circumstances.

No significant demographic differences were found between the treatment and control groups. Of all study participants (both treatment and control groups), 62% were boys and 38% were girls. Over half (55%) were from a minority group, of which 71% were African American, 18% were Hispanic, 5% were biracial, 3% were Native American, and 3% were classified as other. The majority of youth (69%) were between the ages of 11 and 13 at baseline. Ninety percent of youth lived with only one parent, while another 6% lived with only one grandparent. Fifty-five percent of parents/guardians earned a high school equivalent or less. Many youth lived in poor households—over 40% were receiving either food stamps and/or cash public assistance. Minority girls were most likely to live in homes collecting welfare while white boys were least likely to do so. Many study participants had experienced stressful life events including family history of substance abuse (40%), divorce or separation of parent/guardian (40%), family history of domestic violence (28%), or some type of abuse (27%).

Case managers and senior staff members at the eight participating sites also completed surveys. Case managers completed two surveys about treatment and control youth at the time of the random assignment, and two additional surveys about just the treatment group (a baseline survey immediately following random assignment and a follow-up survey 18 months later). Senior staff members completed one survey providing program background information. .
Data Collection Methods Surveys/Questionnaires: For youth surveys, youth outcome data were collected at baseline and follow-up in the following areas: antisocial activities, academic performance, attitudes and behaviors, relationships with family, relationships with friends, self-concept, and social and cultural enrichment. In addition, baseline surveys asked youth to provide basic demographic information while follow-up interviews asked the treatment group youth about their relationships with their mentors.

For parent surveys, parents were asked at baseline to provide general background information about themselves, such as years of completed education, welfare receipt by any household members, labor force status, and relationship to their children. At follow-up, parents were asked to evaluate the performance of their children’s mentors, their satisfaction with the BBBS agency, and whether BBBS had made a difference in their children’s lives.

The two surveys completed by case managers about treatment and control youth included the client data form, which asked basic information about each youth to determine if the youth was eligible for the study, and the research sample form, which provided detailed background information about the youth and their families. For the treatment group only, the two additional surveys completed by case managers included a baseline match form detailing information about the mentor, and a follow-up form which included the case manager’s perception of the mentor’s performance, a description of any problems that occurred, and information about the match.

References
Armsden, G. C., & Greenberg, M. T. (1987). The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA): Relationships to well-being in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 16, 427–454.

Berndt, T. J., & Miller, K. E. (1990). Expectancies, values and achievement in junior high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 319–326.

Berndt, T. J., & Perry, T. B. (1986) Children's perceptions of friendships as supportive relationships. Developmental Psychology, 82, 319–326.

Harter, S. (1985). The self-perception profile for children: Revision of the perceived competence scale for children. Manual. Denver, CO: University of Denver.

Petersen, A., Schulenberg, J., Abramowitz, R., Offer, D., & Jarcho, H. (1984). A Self-image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents (SIQYA): Reliability and validity studies. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 13, 93–111.
Data Collection Timeframe Data were collected between October 1991 and September 1994.


Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Activity Implementation About 70% of matched youth and mentors met 3 or 4 times per month with an average meeting lasting 4 hours.

On average, each mentoring relationship had been in place for one year by the end of the study period.


Summative/Outcome Findings

Academic The treatment group had higher GPAs on average at follow-up than the control group; this difference was marginally significant (2.71 vs. 2.63, p < .10). These differences in GPA were strongest among girls (2.83 vs. 2.67, p < .05), and particularly among minority girls (2.83 vs. 2.62, p < .10).

Compared to the control group, BBBS participants skipped significantly fewer days of school (52% fewer skipped days, p < .01) and classes (37% fewer skipped classes, p < .05) by the end of the study period. In addition, both minority and White girls who participated in BBBS skipped significantly fewer days of school than their control counterparts by the end of the study period (p < .01 for both minority and White girls).

Of BBBS participants, minority girls and White boys had significantly higher perceived scholastic competence scores at the end of the study than their control counterparts (p < .01 for minority girls and p < .05 for White boys).

No significant differences were found between the treatment and control groups on measures of time spent reading or doing homework, the number of college or library visits, or the number of books read.
Family BBBS participants reported better relationships with parents than members of the control group by the end of the study period. This effect was strongest for White males (p < .05). Further analysis showed that this increase in relationship quality was primarily driven by significantly higher levels of parental trust in the treatment group relative to the control group (p < .05), with no significant differences found for the other two components of parental relationship quality: communication or feelings of anger and alienation.

At the conclusion of study, the treatment group reported lying to their parents significantly less often than the control group (p < .05).
Prevention Participants were 46% less likely than controls to initiate drug use during the study period; this difference was significant (p < .05). Even stronger effects were found for minority BBBS participants, who were 70% less likely to initiate drug use than other similar minority youth; these differences were also significant (p < .05 for minority boys and p < .10 for minority girls).

BBBS participants were 27% less likely than controls to initiate alcohol use, with the greatest impact among minority female BBBS participants, who were less than half as likely to start drinking alcohol; these differences were marginally significant (p < .10 for both BBBS participants overall and for minority female BBBS participants).

BBBS participants were almost one-third less likely than controls to report hitting someone in the past 12 months; this difference was significant (p < .05).

No significant impacts were found between treatment and control groups on the number of times youth stole something or damaged property, were sent to the principal’s office, did “risky” things, fought, cheated on a test, or used tobacco.
Youth Development BBBS participants reported improvements in their relationships with their peers relative to their control counterparts as measured using five scales: Intimacy in Communication, Instrumental Support, Emotional Support, Conflict, and Relationship Inequality. Emotional support was significantly higher among treatment group, particularly minority boys (increased by 6%, p < .05) who felt greater emotional support from peers. Results from all other scales show no significant differences between treatment and control groups.

There were no significant differences between treatment and control groups on measures of self-concept. The one exception was for White boys; they scored significantly higher on the social acceptance scale (p < .10), which assesses the respondents’ perceived popularity among peers.

No overall differences were found between treatment and control groups in their frequency of participation in social and cultural enrichment activities.

© 2016 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
Published by Harvard Family Research Project